


Equals

by Applesaday



Series: Equals [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, FTL AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-03-05 06:45:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3109991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applesaday/pseuds/Applesaday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma has only ever known her life as a servant, working to provide for the rich and powerful. Her new assignment is at the Evil Queen's castle, as her handmaiden. Now all she has to do is make sure not to anger the Steward, and try not to fall for the Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> So here is the deal. This is going to be an AU. It's going to be veeery long. I don't know how long, but I plan to split it into a trilogy, to give you an idea. It will be exploring Emma's situation, and her eventual relationship with Regina. More details will become apparent as the story progresses, and things will begin to make themselves clearer.
> 
> I have a plot sketched out, and details largely decided. As we are going to be in the Enchanted Forest, I'm trying to do my research on roles in Medieval castles and whatnot.
> 
> Unfortunately for my research, depending on the website you choose to peruse, you'll get a different name for a role/job at the time. If, for whatever reason, you see me putting a wrong name to a role, you're more than welcome to correct me on it.
> 
> Without further ado, let's get this story started!

* * *

 

Emma awoke with a loud clanging by the middle of the communal bedrooms.

"Up and at'em you lazy fucks," Richard sneered, banging a piece of metal pipe against the ancient heater in the middle of the room that barely worked on a good day, less so after being constantly used as an alarm bell.

She quickly got up, bare feet touching the cool stone floor as she hastened to stand at the foot of her bed, hiding the sharp hiss and shudder at the cool air nipping at her exposed skin around her camisole. Along with 19 others, Emma stood still, hands clasped in front of her, staring down at the ground in deference.

There were 10 pairs of beds along the long room, with a chest at the foot of each bed containing the meagre clothes and belongings of each servant, while a rickety bedside table to the left of each bed held a small drawer for more valuable possessions. But everyone knew to not really keep anything of true value in those drawers. For officers like Richard pilfered the drawers for trinkets of interest to them and took whatever caught their fancy, never to return them. Should someone be stupid enough to question any of them, well, the answer was always a hellhole of an outhouse which would become their new home for the next week.

But of course, something had to be kept in the drawers, lest someone wished to be accused of hiding something of extreme value, which would lead to a ransacking of the chest, as well as a stay in the outhouse.

Richard started pacing the middle of the room. "Good. Now, I have your new schedules. Some of you lucky folks will get to spend more time here. You might be wondering why you're in luck for that. Six of you have been chosen to work for the Evil Queen. Now, you all know I don't give a hoot about any of you sorry sacks, but may the gods have mercy on you if you are chosen. Once your name is called, gather your belongings and report to the stables. If by the end of the hour you're not there, you will be running after the cart. Clear?"

A clear chorus of "Yes, Sir," greeted him. He huffed self-importantly and began calling out the names on his parchment. "Alright: Ace, Drune, Fa, Swan, Vortell, and West. Make sure to let me know when the funeral is."

No one looked up at him, for they were not allowed, but they could just imagine his smug smirk. The Dark Kingdom of the Evil Queen was well-known to everyone. There were stories and tales about all the evil and darkness within it, but what was rumour and what was fact, no one knew. Although the kingdom was prosperous, many doubted that they could actually venture and live in such a kingdom, under the rule of someone like the infamous Evil Queen.

The 25-year old opened her chest, where everything was already packed into her rucksack, since she was never one to settle down and take her stuff out, considering she was constantly moving. She went to her bedside table, and took out a book plus a small journal. She stuffed it all inside the bag before heading to the side rooms, where she could change away from the men and boys.

Emma removed her camisole and quickly put on her breeches, letting out a small shudder as the cool material acclimated to her skin, still warm from being under the covers. Despite their ratty condition, the bed blankets were quite warm, one of the few things that could be almost considered luxurious while living here. She found her green wool shirt in her bag and donned it, feeling warmer as she adjusted the sleeves. She hoped she'd be able to buy some new clothes soon, the shirt had shrunk to the point where the sleeves ended halfway down her forearm. And this was the longest and warmest shirt she had. Pulling her hair free of its confines under the shirt, she sat on the bench and fished for her socks.

The door opened and Fa Mulan entered. They said nothing, but greeted each other with a nod.

She found her socks and put them on, sticking the wool material through the manacles on her feet. Apart from being a way to ensure no one would run away - fast movement was impossible with heavy iron weighing their feet down - it was a symbol of being owned by Silas, the great servant trader throughout the Enchanted Forest. Emma had heard stories that others told her, of how there were other masters much less kinder than Silas. She had to count her blessings that she got a bed and a roof each time her contract was up.

Once she was done, she gathered her things, put on her black riding boots, and left the room. Everyone was silent, servants weren't there to speak, except late at night after their chores were done and they were released for the today to sleep. Conversations were at the cost of their sleep time, for every morning at 6am, they had to get up and be ready for the day ahead. Days like today, Sunday, were the only days they were allowed to sleep in, unless they were woken up for some reason or another, which happened very often. Rare were the days they actually got to sleep in.

Reaching the stables, she saw that the ride would not be comfortable. The cart had no roof, and the wheels were made of wood, meaning that it'd be a bumpy ride, and it was chilly as well, even though it was only early September.

She made her way to the cart, and to the two guards chatting. "Name?" one asked as she made her way closer.

"Emma Swan," she replied simply.

After checking a list, her jerked his thumb into the cart. "Go ahead. Put your bag by your feet and scoot right to the front."

* * *

One hour later, nearly everyone was there. The only person they were missing was Sigmund Vortell. When he finally showed up, he ran towards the cart. Once they processed him, they grabbed some rope, and tied his hands together. With the other end of the rope, the guards tied it to a metal ring on the back of the cart. For being late, Sigmund would have to travel running after the cart.

They'd all been there once, and it was well known that some preferred to drop and then be dragged to their destination, bumps along the road be damned, rather than attempt to tire themselves out by running after the cart. They also knew that, should anyone attempt to help him, it would only lead to having to join him running, and no act of solidarity would get them out of their punishment. They had all been well-trained in accepting their roles as workers for those with higher status of living than them. After 13 years of being a servant, Emma knew better. Vortell was also a slimy bastard, so she felt no sympathy for the man. He frequently made lewd comments and advances towards other women, which often led to Emma interfering and clocking him until he retreated.

It had also meant that she'd been in the outhouse quite a number of times, but it had been worth it to get him to back off.

None of them were given the luxury of jackets, only being allowed 4 pairs of clothing, so they were all huddled together, trying not to freeze as the cool air nipped at them. In the horizon, Emma could see what would become her new home for the next year.

* * *

Regina rolled her eyes as she heard someone knock on her door. "Enter," she coolly commanded.

Sidney Glass, her castle's Steward, entered with a brusque bow.

"What is it?" she asked, glaring at the man.

He kept his head high but did not meet her gaze. Despite the many years in her service, he knew about etiquette in front of his Queen. "Your Majesty, I have taken the liberty of hiring one more servant than usual; perhaps you'd reconsider my offer of once more having a handmaiden?"

The royal sighed. Of course he would be persistent. She had terrified the poor scullery maids who had been recently tasked with serving her food and cleaning her room. Ever since Brunhilde had died, she hadn't found anyone who did everything she asked of properly. They'd always mess up here and there, and she was not someone to take mistakes lightly, no matter how accidental. She did not gain the moniker of Evil Queen by being merciful. "Very well. Send her here when she arrives."

"Yes your Majesty, of course." Sidney bowed out and left, knowing that in a couple of hours his new servants would be arriving.

* * *

Once they passed by the gate, they entered the stables and finally got a reprieve from the rain. It had begun drizzling over an hour ago, and they were all soaked, on top of being frozen.

"Alright, everyone get up and form a line," one guard barked at them. "And leave your bags. They'll be inspected and returned to you tomorrow once you have your assignments."

They silently did as they were told, and after they were escorted out of the stables and towards the castle, they were quickly marshalled into some dingy cells. They had been travelling for an entire day, and from what Emma saw, it was already evening. They were given some bowls with stale porridge, and then told that tomorrow, they would be given their assignments.

Emma fell into an easy slumber in her hard cot, joints stiff from having been jostled around so much in the cart.

Next thing she knew, she was sopping wet and freezing as a bucket of ice water was poured on her.

"Come on lass! We don't have all day," a gruff voice demanded. "Out of your rooms and on your knees, in positions before the Steward arrives."

Calling these cells rooms were a stretch, from Emma's vantage point, but she silently shuffled as she followed orders.

She was still in yesterday's clothes, and really felt the chill as she got into position beside her fellow workers. The kneeling position was one of three standard positions that all servants were taught to adhere to while in service.

It was fairly simple. Left knee on the ground, right foot planted well. Left fist on the ground, knuckles facing forward in front of their left knee, while their right fist rested over their heart. Head was bowed, and once a command or order was issued, the servant was to thump their right hand over their heart once to signal that they had understood.

The door opened and in walked a man that, just from the boots he wore, demonstrated he was a man of stature. This must be the Steward.

"Good morning, I am the Dark Castle's Steward and Chamberlain, Sidney Glass. I, along with my Usher, Killian Jones, whom you have already met, will be your masters for the next year. You are to refer to us always as Sir, or Sir Glass and Sir Jones, respectively. We've been told good things from the servants who come from Silas, so I expect I won't have any trouble with you lot, but just in case, a reminder:

"You are here to serve, nothing more. You will be given assignments and report directly to your superiors. You are always to follow their explicit instructions to the letter, or suffer the consequences. Should some parameter or order not be clear, you are to fall back on your training, and the Castle's rules. We have a clear chain of command and you are to adhere to your place, never straying. You are to speak only when spoken to, and you are never to look any one of your superiors, or anyone above your station in the eye. You are to follow all orders, despite any personal opinions or apprehensions you may have. Whenever the Queen is about to enter a room, two guards at the doorway will thump their staffs, like so," - near the door, the one guard on duty thumped their staff twice on the ground - "and when you hear that, you are to get on your knees as you are now, until you hear the same sound again, wherein you will be allowed to get back up and return to your duties.

"As you are all new, the first week will be a trial period. You will be sleeping here until we deem you are satisfactory in your tasks, and are allowed to remain at the Castle. When that happens, you will be given a bed in the servants' communal area. Should you be chosen to remain here after the year is up, a room will be granted to you. As part of your employment, all of you will be fitted with leather bracers on your arms, one displaying the Castle's Royal Crest, thereby demonstrating your employment here, and another for your superiors to summon you should they need you. So stand up and hold your right arm out."

They all stood up and held their right arms out, fists clenched, palms up. Jones came around and attached one bracer, the leather magically snapping shut. Once he was done, Emma quickly glanced at the front of the bracer. It had a beautiful carving of the Dark Kingdom seal.

"Now, your other bracers shall be given to you depending on your employment. So let's get to it. Ladies, in my hand I have a shorter straw, which will be used to determine which one of you will get a special assignment, so step forward, and take a pick."

Emma took a step forward and her eyes quickly flitted to the Steward's hand, and as she reached out, she hoped she wouldn't get the shorter stick. Special assignments usually meant that it was a complicated chore, more chances of screwing up and making a mess, which meant getting into trouble. She always preferred a simple task, remaining in the background until her service was over.

Once all 3 straws were taken, Glass demanded, "Open your palms and show us your straw."

Jones quickly inspected each of the women's straws, and then came to stand in front of Emma. Well shit. "This lass here seems to have the shorter stick. She's the lucky one."

This was going to be a long year.

* * *

After Jones had taken the 5 other workers out to their new jobs, Emma was left with Glass. She was in rest position, hands clasped in front of her by her pelvis, arms now covered with both bracers. Now her shirt's length wasn't so bad, the bracers provided some warmth where the shirt didn't. They had been given their rucksacks once more, and Emma had quickly taken possession of hers, noting from the weight that it seemed the guards were not so greedy that they had pocketed anything of value.

"So, your assignment. You are going to be the Queen's handmaiden. She is strict, and she is demanding, as Queens are wont to be." Were Emma not so trained, she would be gaping at how impertinent Sir Glass was. But it wasn't her place to comment on that, so she just kept staring down. "You are to cater to her every whim, and be prepared. The last three girls were let go within an inch of their lives. Now let's go, her Majesty does not like to be kept waiting."

Silently they made their way through the castle. Emma began taking stock of all the routes and passages. Every now and then her guide would point out important places for her to keep in mind, such as the kitchens. They went up some staircases, and then crossed a long corridor, until reaching a doorway flanked by two guards.

Glass knocked on the door and was greeted by a cool, "Enter."

The two entered the room, and as soon as Sidney stopped in the middle of the room, she kneeled in position.

"Is this my new handmaiden?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Sidney nodded.

The Queen's tone was cool as she responded, "Good, I was getting impatient waiting. I have plenty of things to do. Now, servant, I will give you one hour to put your belongings away in your room off to the side here, and then before I return for lunch time, I want this room spotless and clean, am I clear?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Emma responded. Her brain was working overtime as it tried to decipher why the Queen would be giving her her own room. But she wouldn't question it, she took the little favours as they came.

Sidney however, found fault in the Queen's command. "Your Majesty, I must have misunderstood. You want the servant to reside  _in_  your chambers?"

The Queen was not happy with the questioning of her orders. "Yes. I have a servant's quarters here and no one is using them. Not to mention that the last three girls who were absolutely impossible to deal with, resided in their quarters all the way on the other side of the castle. By the time they reached here with my breakfast, it was cold. Now, I have a meeting to attend to."

Once both the Queen and the Steward had left, Emma finally stood up and released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Time to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! A first chapter/teaser for everyone.
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts on it so far!
> 
> Would anyone be interested in a breakdown of what roles are meant to be what?
> 
> Also, this castle isn't meant to be like Regina's castle on the show, so I wouldn't use it as a base.
> 
> Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. In terms of other fics I'll be updating, Welcome to Storybrooke is next, and then In Sickness and in Health!


	2. A Tour of the Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again!
> 
> I'm sorry to have taken a while with an update, but wow am I floored with the enthusiasm so far!
> 
> So let's get things going, shall we?

Emma diligently did as she was tasked, putting her stuff away in her room before setting out to clean the Queen's chambers. Her room was decent, as far as her past experiences with bedrooms went. A room for herself that, while it wasn't too big, it held an average sized bed - one where her feet wouldn't be dangling off, as she had the unfortunate luck of experiencing that one time - it had a window, as well as a beside table - much sturdier than the ones with Silas - and a dresser for her clothes.

Once she got to work, she realized that she hadn't been given anything to help her task of cleaning. Thankfully, Emma owned a handy rag with which to clean. So she got to work, ridding the furniture of dust, and polishing the surfaces of objects scattered around. She made sure to be thorough, knowing that her performance now would determine if she would stay in this charge. Thinking more on it, working as the Queen's handmaiden wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. She got her own room, and her tasks seemed pretty straight forward, at least thus far.

Noon came and went by, and Emma was nearly done. It seemed that the Queen wasn't expecting to eat lunch promptly on time, of which Emma made a mental note, knowing that she would probably have to keep it in mind should she want to prevent the Queen's food from getting cold. As soon as she was done, Emma did a final check with a practised eye, making sure she hadn't missed anything. Finding everything to be up to her standards, she went to stand by the door, hands clasped in front of her, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long, the door opened near her with a slam, and the Queen strode forward into the room with a regal air. She was alone this time, and Emma took care to close the door after the Queen was inside, and then dropped to her knee, awaiting the verdict on her work, sneaking glances upwards to see what the Queen was doing.

"It seems like you have done a decent enough job," the Queen remarked, striding over to her bookcase and picking up an object and running her pointer finger over the polished wood surface. "Now, go fetch me my lunch and then I will give you a more detailed itinerary of what your job will consist of."

Emma thumped her chest once, and quickly went to follow orders.

* * *

The kitchen was bustling with excitement as Emma entered. There were kitchen maids and scullions running around, carrying ingredients to and fro, tending the fires, and stirring pots. She saw a table near the entrance, and figured that would be as good a place as any to order the food she needed.

After a few seconds of waiting, someone approached her. "You must be one of the new workers huh? What can I do for you? The mess is to your right."

"Lunch for her Majesty," Emma simply responded, eyes glued to the ground.

"Hey," Emma looked up when felt that the woman she was speaking with gently put her hand on her shoulder, "you don't have to be such a stickler for rules here. Glass and Jones don't come to the kitchens often, and we won't rat you out."

Emma flashed her a grateful smile. "Sorry, my last placement had this really uptight kitchen staff, so the habit stuck."

"Not a problem. We're much more lenient here." The woman excused herself for a moment and went to speak to an elderly woman - who Emma assumed must be the cook, and relayed her order. Once the brunette woman came back, she introduced herself, cleaning her hands on the white apron by her skirt before holding her right hand out to shake. "I'm Red, Head Kitchen Maid, you are?"

"Emma Swan, handmaiden to the Queen," she responded, taking the hand in her own and giving it a firm shake before they let go.

Red's eyes widened. "Ooh, you're the new sacrifice."

Emma could hardly stop the flinch that overtook her face as she heard that. "Am I that screwed?"

The brunette made a 'kind of' gesture with her hand. "The last few scullery maids were a disaster, so I wouldn't be banking or hoping on a long-term employment."

"Kinda gave up on that a long time ago. My luck thus far hasn't landed me anything past the contractual year, so I just go with things until I'm sent back."

Red gave her a compassionate smile. The cook that she had been speaking to earlier barked at her, and Red once again excused herself as she went to pick up Emma's order. Once she came back, she held out the tray with a steaming plate of hearty food and said, "If you have any free time later, I can show you around if you want?"

Emma nodded, flashing a grateful smile as she grabbed the tray. "That'd be great."

"Oh hey, have you eaten yet?" When Emma shook her head, Red said, "Well, then you'll probably be excused soon enough and you can grab something and we'll talk, yeah?"

"Sounds good, thanks Red."

"Glad to help!"

* * *

Emma quickly made her way back to the Queen's chambers, and wasn't reprimanded for the time it took, so she must've been expecting the time it took. Technically Emma didn't dawdle, she was waiting for the food and chatted in the meanwhile. After depositing the tray by the table the Queen was sitting at, Emma stood to the side with her hands clasped.

The Queen spoke. "Go eat lunch, but make it quick. Once you return, and I am finished, I wish to define your schedule."

Dutifully, Emma thumped her chest in understanding, and left. She quickly ate lunch in the mess hall, waving at Red when she arrived and left, mindful that the other woman was busy cooking and probably wasn't up to chit chat. Keeping her pace efficient, she headed back towards the Queen's chambers, kneeling once she arrived and closed the door behind her.

"Good, you're back. First things first, you needn't kneel every time you come in. You may listen to orders and wait standing while in this room," the Queen stated, sitting in a plush armchair. Emma took this to mean she could stand, and did so, eyes trained to the ground, left hand by her side, right fisted over her heart, to show she was listening.

"Now, this is a demanding assignment, and I don't like repeating myself, so listen closely. I enjoy my breakfast at 8am precisely, so plan accordingly. Once you have breakfast delivered, you are to knock on my door and then you may leave to have your own breakfast. Lunch, like today showed you, is unpredictable, so you will wait until I return to fetch it, and you may eat lunch in the meanwhile. I eat dinner at 7 in the evening, so have it ready for me by then. During the morning, I expect you to keep my room tidy and clean. The afternoon is to be decided on a day-to-day basis. Like every other servant in this household, you are allowed to do as you please in the weekend, however: I still expect to receive my meals on those days, so keep an eye out on the time.

"If ever I require your services, I shall call for you via your manacle like this." Emma felt a slight pressure in her left wrist, as if a hand was clasping her wrist to call her attention. The gesture didn't feel aggressive or painful, for which Emma was thankful. She thumped her fist over her heart once to show she understood. "Good. You are dismissed for the afternoon. Further on I will have you accompany me on errands, but today, I wish for you to get acquainted with the castle, so off you go."

Emma thumped her chest again before taking her leave, heading back to the kitchen to meet with Red.

* * *

Her new friend turned out being a great tour guide.

"And here is the Great Hall, we have all sorts of events here, like diplomatic events and fancy dinners. You usually find out about events very early in advance and get assigned special duties at that day, so be on the lookout."

Next up was the Throne Room, an intimidating and daunting place. "This is where the Queen conducts her day-to-day business with the kingdom. Court is usually held in the afternoons, so we best not dawdle. Oh, and the Queen never enters through these doors, but rather from the door right there" - she pointed to a door off to the left of the imposing throne on the dais - "for security purposes and all that."

She was shown the servants' quarters, as well as the expansive grounds. She got a glimpse of the Place of Arms, where the guards and soldiers were training in the afternoon sun.

"Is everyone...happy here?" Emma asked at one moment, seeing that the castle seemed so lively. They all greeted Red with enthusiasm, and even Emma with respect as well.

Red nodded. "For the most part." Seeing Emma's face, she was quick to add, "It's nothing to do with the Queen, despite the rumours and stories. She's a good leader, and a fair mistress of the castle. But Glass...he's not so fair. Especially regarding retirement and freedom."

Working as a servant was a complicated business. A servant's freedom was granted one of two ways. The first was paying their Master, should they have sufficient funds to pay for their freedom. To free herself from Silas, Emma would have to pay 20,000 gold coins. Considering that a servant's yearly stipend while in Silas' employment was 1,000 gold coins - should she do a good job - she'd need to work 20 years to have enough. But that was in an ideal world which didn't account for buying clothes and hygiene supplies, as well as other ventures - all of which was bought with the servant's own money.

The other method was much more complicated. Should she be lucky enough to be kept in her employment after a year was up, Emma would be freed from her ownership to Silas, and become part of the castle staff for the foreseeable future, until she met the demands of the Chamberlain and could be free if she so wished. "What're the demands?"

"5 years of additional employment" - that part didn't sound too bad for Emma - "Plus 20,000 gold coins to pay Glass. But that's not all. You must also have at least 10,000 additional gold coins in your purse, as an insurance that you won't leave empty-handed."

Emma made a face of disgust. She knew that that final caveat wasn't out of care for servants, but another bump in the road to prevent them from leaving. No one could expect to have so much money in 5 years.

"Are you looking to leave as soon as you can?" Red asked, wondering about Emma's curiosity on the matter.

Emma shook her head. "Nah, just curious. Got nothing out there for me. At least here I'm doing something."

They continued walking, and they met more inhabitants of the castle. Jiminy Cricket - who insisted he be called Archie - was the Porter, and seemed like a nice enough man, with a soft smile. They had passed plenty of maidens cleaning during their tour; Emma had seen Aurora West, one of the girls that came with her, sweeping the floor at one point. They shared a small wave and a smile, before Emma and Red continued walking.

Outside she saw Mulan vigorously attacking a shrub with some clippers, and decided to not attempt to converse with the angry woman. She really didn't look happy with her placement, something that she could sympathize with.

"Oh I nearly forgot!" Red exclaimed as they made their way to the library, the last stop. She had stopped walking, and her hand had reached out to clasp Emma by the arm.

Emma turned to her, waiting in anticipation. "We're going to have a ball at the end of the month! It's for the Autumnal Equinox!"

"'We' as in we the servants get to  _participate_?" Emma asked, incredulous. Servants were never deemed worthy of taking part in such a prestigious type of event.

Red nodded vigorously. "Yes! It's a yearly tradition. For one day every year, we hold a masquerade ball. Well, it's more like an evening, but it's a big event. It's the one time of the year that there are no station barriers or anything like that. Everyone is an equal there. Do you have any dresses?"

"Not exactly. At least not any dresses that would be deemed appropriate for such an event. I only have the standard clothes: winter and summer work clothes, sleepwear, and a kitchen service dress. Silas wasn't really one for fancy clothes, plus we never had a use for them."

With a wide wolf-like grin, Red linked her arm around Emma and started moving them forward again. "Well worry not, this weekend, we will find you some adequate clothes."

* * *

The rest of the week went by without a hitch. Emma made sure to follow her orders given by the Queen, getting her food to her on time, and cleaning the room. She had acquired a broom, a mop and a bucket from the supply closet, and she kept in her room for convenience. Otherwise, she stayed out of the way quietly, taking care to not do anything which might get her into trouble. When Saturday arrived, Emma woke up with her makeshift wake-up call. She had fiddled with the shutters so that one slat would remain perennially open, and when the sun shone through it, it would wake her up, most of the time without fail. The only worry was what might happen on a stormy or cloudy day, but she had yet to experience any to test out if it would work.

She bolted out of bed, got dressed, and made her way to grab breakfast for the Queen. The kitchen staff was already awake and busy. She convened quickly with Red to see if they were still on to head into town to buy her dress clothes.

The head cook, a brusque lady by the name of Granny - who was actually Red's Granny, but insisted everyone call her that as well, walked up to them with a tray in her hands. "Better deliver this on time girl, otherwise you won't be able to shop for  _any_  clothes."

Emma looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly 8. Flashing a grateful smile at Granny, Emma took the tray and said, "Thanks." To Red, she said, "I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah, now go!"

A few hours later, Emma and Red were walking to the Castle's side entrance. It was the unofficial main entrance, with Archie's office there, and served as the entrance that everyone in the castle used, even the Queen, unless there was a public event where visibility was needed, wherein she would leave through the main gates, which were manned by the Castle's guards for protection. Otherwise, for safety reasons, the Queen used the less conspicuous entrance, and had no shame of using it.

"Hey Archie!" Emma greeted.

"Morning ladies, heading to town?" he asked.

Red nodded, and then jerked a thumb towards Emma. "Yep, going to get the new girl a dress for the ball."

Archie nodded in understanding. "Well have fun you two, don't get into trouble."

"We'll try our best, see you later!"

Together they walked to town a few miles away. Emma's belt was weighted down by the pouch of gold, and she listened to Red excitedly explain about the dress she had gotten. Then she started talking about Emma's clothes. "It's good that you arrived here a week earlier, that way next weekend we can pick up your clothes from the seamstress. Otherwise you'd be pressed for time, since we're not allowed to leave the castle if it's not the weekend. Any ideas what kind of dress you'd want?"

Emma thought about it for a second, and then said, "Actually, I was thinking of getting a suit, is that acceptsble?"

Red didn't miss a beat and waved it off easily. "Not a problem. Jasmine is a master at anything involving a needle and thread. Now come on, let's go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of things happening huh?
> 
> Next chapters we'll see more interactions with Emma and Regina, for now, Emma has to look forward to a ball! I'm sure everyone will be able to tell where this is going, yeah?
> 
> Meanwhile, I'll be finishing Welcome to Storybrooke, and then updating In Sickness and In Health!
> 
> Let me know your thoughts about this chapter, and if anything was left unclear!


	3. A Few Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again!
> 
> I'm terribly sorry for the amount of time it took me to update this, things have been kinda hectic for me, and I've been updating all my other fics as well.
> 
> So let's get things started! Plenty of new and exciting changes for Emma.

A few hours later, Emma and Red were making their way back to the castle. After trying many fabrics and even roping an elderly lady who had entered the store with the intention of buying buy some fabric to give her opinion, Emma had been fitted for a suit, and she was excited to see the end result next week. Like Red had said, Jasmine was quite talented, and well-worth the money.

Upon arriving to the castle once again, Emma ran off because she had to go meet the Queen and take her order for lunch. Of course, she couldn't actually run, for that was against protocol, but she made quick work of her practised rapid walk, managing to make it to the Queen's chambers right on time. Even though she was living in a room within the chambers, she still had to knock, just in case the Queen was conducting an important meeting.

A cool "Enter," responded her knocks.

Pushing the door open, Emma kept her head down as she went to stand by the Queen's work desk, hands clasped in front of her. "Would you like your lunch, your Majesty?"

After a few seconds of deliberation, the Queen said, "Yes, but bring two lunches."

Bringing her fist up, she thumped her chest once and turned to head back into the kitchens. As she walked, she wondered who the second person would be. Reaching the kitchens, she still hadn't figured out the conundrum. Once she was by the ordering table, Red was finishing tying up her apron. "Lunch for the Queen?"

Holding up two fingers, she amended, "Two, actually."

Red's reaction was also of confusion. "Was someone else with her?"

Emma shook her head. "No. Maybe someone's coming by later?"

"Maybe. I'll go let Granny know," Red said, turning, but telling Emma before she left, "If you want to eat while you wait, I'll let you know when the food's ready."

Knowing her orders, Emma denied heading to the mess. The Queen had said that she could eat after delivering lunch, so that's what she would do. Thus far it hadn't led to any problems where she was left without food, so she was in no rush. It didn't take long for Red to come back, laden with a longer tray that held both dishes. They were covered to keep the food warm, but it smelled scrumptious. "Here you go. Lunch for the Queen and her mysterious guest. When you return you have to tell me all about who she's eating lunch with."

Emma grinned, knowing that Red was a gossip-monger, and while the Queen often entertained guests or more important staff to lunch, she usually met them in the dining room, not her own room. As Emma made her way back to the Queen's chambers, she kept her attention solely on the tray, trying to keep things from falling as she weaved through the throngs of people.

Soon enough, she was back in front of the doorway, and she gently thumped the front edge of the tray against the doorway. Once more she got permission to enter, so Emma moved her right hand underneath the tray to hold it steady, while she opened the door with her left. A quick glance around the room showed that the Queen was still alone, so her guest hadn't arrived yet. She went over to the cozy round table where the Queen ate, and deposited the tray, lifting one plate and a set of cutlery to rest in front of where the Queen would eat, and the other lunch in front of the only other chair by the table, across from the Queen. She had two cups and a pitcher of water, and she set them up and filled them nearly to the top, before depositing them in their proper places. The last thing were the napkins, diligently placed to the right of the knives. Backing away a few steps, Emma clasped her hands in front of her once more as she waited for the Queen to let her know she was free to go.

Imagine her surprise when, after the Queen sat down, she said, "Well, aren't you going to sit down as well?"

Emma was sure she heard wrong, and her voice shook as she asked, "I beg your pardon?"

"The other plate is for you. I would like for you to join me for lunch," the Queen explained.

At that moment, Emma forgot everything she had been taught. Her head whipped up to look the Queen directly in the eye, her hands fell to her sides, and her brow furrowed. "What?" she blurted.

Rather than scold her for her lack of proper etiquette, the Queen chuckled. She waved her hand towards the chair across from where she was sitting. "Please, sit."

Emma seemed to gather her wits then, closing her mouth and going to sit on the chair, hands in her lap, looking down at the edge of the wooden surface.

"Oh come now, look up. I wish to speak to you, not the top of your head."

Complying, Emma rose her head, but still kept her eyes trained on the table. She heard a sigh and the table scrape back. The Queen had stood up. Thinking that she had done something wrong, Emma stood up as well, hands clasped firmly by her front, eyes on the ground. She saw an expensive dress enter her vision. The Queen.

A finger hooked under her chin as a thumb gently came to rest under her lower lip, and her head was pulled up, her eyes involuntarily meeting the Queen's. "There we go. Now, let us eat."

Emma let out a barely audible gulp as the Queen sat back down, and Emma followed suit. Each time her eyes met the Queen's she would blush and look away. As they each removed the metal covers from their respective plates, Emma bit her lips as she wondered if she should wait to eat, or dig in.

"I suggest you begin eating, before your food grows cold," the Queen suggested, picking up her cup of water and taking a sip.

Nodding dumbly, Emma hoped her hands weren't shaking too obviously as she picked up her utensils.

"Now, I don't believe I know your name." It was true, the Queen had never really needed to summon her for anything, she had readily been where she was supposed to at every moment for the past week, delivering her food and cleaning her room. Emma had imagined that if there had been a need, she'd have been called servant, you over there, or any of the many less cordial terms that had been used to address her over the years.

Emma paused in cutting the succulent steak, and said, "Emma, your Majesty."

* * *

Regina nodded slowly. Somehow the name seemed to fit the young woman in front of her. "Well, Emma, since you seem very shocked at finding yourself eating with me, I will presume you've never done something like this before?"

The head shake she got in response made Regina's lips quiver in amusement. "Well, I make it a point of getting to know the person that takes care of my room and fetches my food, provided they do a good enough job. Since you've lasted the longest than any of the other girls I've had after Brunhilde passed, I feel you will be sticking around, and therefore, I should get to know you."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Emma responded with a polite smile. It was rare that a servant would get a reassurance - especially so early in their employment - that their contract might be extended, so for Emma, this was wonderful news.

Regina nodded once to show she appreciated the sign of gratitude. "Now, tell me about yourself."

Here, Emma floundered. "What would you like to know?...Your Majesty."

She chuckled. "You needn't refer to me as your Majesty every time you speak. But, let's start with how you are liking your stay here thus far."

"It's wonderful. The castle is very vibrant and energetic," Emma grinned. "It's nothing like the stories I-" she stopped and just shoved a piece of steak into her mouth.

However, Regina just let out a chuckle. "Yes, I know all about the stories about my evil and dangerous ways that make many a person fear even glancing towards my kingdom's direction. I find them quite entertaining."

"You do?"

"Of course. I will promise you, I don't sacrifice virgins every full moon and drink their blood to sate my vampirical ways," Regina quipped.

The two laughed and started to trade stories about who had heard the strangest rumour regarding her.

Halfway through lunch, Regina got a good look at the woman in front of her. There was something infinitely familiar about her that she couldn't just place. What was even curiouser was that it was the mouth and the chin that kept drawing her attention. Deciding to not bother with it, she asked another question. "How long have you been a servant?"

"13 years," Emma answered after swallowing the mashed potato serving in her mouth.

Regina quirked her brows in interest. "Then, you weren't always a servant?"

"No, I was born in another realm. I was an orphan there but when I was five I was adopted by Ingrid. Turned out that she was from this world, and she worked for Sir Silas, but had run away after her contract was up, going into hiding and pretending she was a regular woman. Sir Silas' men weren't too kind when they found her, and they decided to take me in as well."

"And what happened to her?" Regina asked, surprised at the circumstances that led Emma to her servitude.

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I never saw her again."

Regina gave a slow nod and went back to eating. More questions were asked of Emma, about her previous experiences and places she had visited, but nothing extremely personal like the earlier question.

* * *

Once they were done, Emma began to gather the plates, but paused when the Queen uttered her name.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"I would like for you to eat every meal with me from now on. You should let Granny know that way she's aware and doesn't have to scramble to prepare enough food."

Emma nodded dumbly, eyes meeting the Queen's. A furious blush appeared when she gave her a wink. "You make quite an interesting conversational partner, I must say."

"Thank you, your Majesty, as do you." As she left, Emma could barely hold her excitement. The Queen had complimented her! And wanted to eat with her for the foreseeable future.

She could barely hold her excitement as she barged into the kitchens, depositing her tray by the sink and then making her way to the mess where Red was finishing her lunch, plopping down across the nearly empty hall.

"About time!" Red exclaimed. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come! Sorry I ate without you, but I was getting hungry."

"It's okay," Emma waved it off. "Guess what?"

"I'll guess after you grabbed some lunch for yourself," Red said around her own serving of mashed potatoes. The servants weren't exactly served worse or lower quality food, but rather just not given similar luxuries such as steak, and instead given a more commonplace alternative.

"That's the thing," Emma said, checking to see that there was no one around before whispering, "I ate lunch with the Queen!"

Red looked like the epitome of speechless, mouth gaping and mashed potato beginning to spill from her mouth until she regained her senses and closed her mouth again. She swallowed and then looked expectantly at Emma. "Come again?"

"Yeah! I ate lunch with the Queen. And the strangest part is that she wants to do it from now on."

Surprise morphed into curiosity. "So what did you do to make her so happy?"

Emma shrugged. "Apparently, survive the week."

* * *

The next few days proved mostly uneventful. Emma had now gotten used to eating with the Queen, and found their talks pleasant. They would sometimes speak of nothing, just trivial matters such as happenings around the palace; other times they would talk of pleasantries like the weather, or how the other slept. This was all brand new for Emma, and she was wary of making some mistake or say the wrong thing that would make the Queen angry at her and stop their conversations or worse, fire her.

It was Wednesday when the schedule changed.

"Good morning, Emma," Regina greeted, coming out of her room, tying the sash on her robe. After Sunday morning's fiasco, wherein she was left gaping for a solid 3 minutes when the Queen appeared in her robe for the first time, Emma had gotten used to the relative state of undress the Queen was in. She looked softer, and certainly less like the intimidating Queen.

"Good morning, your Majesty," Emma responded with a respectful curtsy, standing by their table, two servings of breakfast waiting. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not precisely," she responded, going to sit, and indicating that Emma should do the same.

Emma frowned at the answer. "Oh? Why?"

"I have a meeting today that I'd rather avoid, so I had a fitful sleep. Speaking of which, I won't be able to join you for lunch, since I will be in said meeting."

"Understood. Dinner will be as usual?"

"Yes, dinner will be here, and ask Granny to include some wine, I feel like I will need it."

After they were done, and the Queen was immaculately dressed - appearing like she was heading to battle rather than a meeting - Emma bade her farewell. "I do hope the meeting goes well."

"As do I," Regina sombrely responded.

* * *

"Oh I know what that's about," Red nodded sagely after Emma finished explaining the situation of the mysterious meeting during their lunch. "The Council's trying to get the Queen to marry."

"Marry?" Emma made a face of disgust.

Red leaned forward so she wouldn't be overheard, and explained, "Yeah, apparently the neighbouring kingdoms all fear her something terrible, so the Council wants to try and soften her appearance, and they think a husband would achieve that."

Emma's frown kept deepening. "In other words, they want to show the world that the Queen was able to be tamed by a man."

"Precisely."

That just wouldn't work. The Queen was a force to be reckoned with, she had no equal, and certainly no one superior to her. She would become a laughingstock if the Council got their way. In Emma's mind, the Queen's reputation was what made her so formidable. And enticing, though she wouldn't admit that to anyone. Hers was a silly infatuation that would never go anywhere, for she was a lowly servant, and their conversations were merely a formality that could end at any moment.

"You know, she used to be married?" Red mused after a few moments of silence.

This was news to her, especially since she had heard plenty of stories regarding the Queen. "She did?"

Red nodded. "Yes, but she killed the evil bastard. Goes to show that no one within a thousand leagues would want to willingly put themselves through courting her."

"Why not? She's not that intimidating," Emma countered. If their meals together were anything to go by, she was a lovely companion. Kind, funny, and insightful.

Her friend chuckled. "Ah yes, says the lucky one who gets to spend  _alone time_  with her."

Emma blushed red. "I-"

"Oh come on, it's alright, we've all had a crush on her. She is quite magnificent."

For her, it was more than just the beauty aspect. Sure it was a factor, but Emma genuinely enjoyed getting to spend time with her. After more than three days of sharing meals with her, she felt comfortable around the monarch. She made the days enjoyable with the promise of something interesting to fill the relatively mundane tasks. Getting to see how her eyes would shine with mirth and excitement or how her lips would twitch when she was trying to concentrate made her seem infinitely more human, and not at all intimidating. Though of course, she would never make the mistake of underestimating her.

* * *

After they were done, they walked around a bit, enjoying their break to talk. Red had plenty of gossip and updates to tell, and Emma was a very willing listener. As they were walking, they heard the telltale thumps from the guards. As a collective group, everyone in the hallway got away from the carpet that flowed down the middle, kneeling on the stone floor flanking the carpet, facing the middle.

"That's the Council," Red whispered, discreetly looking towards the other side of the hallway where a group of old men were conversing amongst themselves as they made their way down.

No wonder they wanted the Queen to marry, they were probably scared shitless of her. As she understood, the Council was the group of kingdoms in the Southern Region who were under a common treaty of peace for trading and military aid. They had formed after Snow White's kingdom and allies to the North had formed the Alliance, for they wanted to be fortified against any potential attacks. So for a bunch of presumably conservative old men, doing business with a woman, especially one so powerful and assertive, probably crushed their egos from the already fragile state that was having to ally to other kingdoms in order to prosper.

They passed at a snail's pace, completely unaware they were interrupting the flow of the castle. Then again, it was common for monarchs and high dignitaries to have no regard for their servants. Thankfully they were gone soon enough, but they weren't given the all clear.

A few seconds later, the answer why came in a flurry of pure anger and clacking heels. The Queen was looking positively murderous, and trailing behind her was the chamberlain, Sir Glass.

"Your Majesty, I wouldn't trouble myself with their words-"

"Silence!" the Queen exclaimed, making every single last person - especially the brave and curious souls like Red who had been sneaking glances upwards - to look back down and hope they wouldn't have to face her wrath. "I wish to be alone, and have no interruptions or visits for the rest of the day."

"Yes your Majesty," Sir Glass responded with a deep bow.

After the Queen had left, they were allowed to stand up again. Red smirked, inclining her head towards where the Queen had gone to. "Good luck, she seems like she's in a right mood."

Emma nodded, biting her lip. She would have to be extra careful with what she said and did tonight. Assuming that the Queen even wanted to eat with her.

* * *

It would turn out that she needn't have worried. When she arrived in the Queen's chambers, Sir Glass was standing dutifully in front, barring her way.

"Ah, I'll take it from here, servant," Glass said, grabbing the tray from her hands.

Emma could hardly counter him, for she would be in a lot of trouble if she tried. So she turned and was about to leave when Glass called her back.

"Why is there an extra meal?" he asked, jerking his head to the second plate.

"I'm not sure, sir. She requested it," Emma responded. She knew that, if Glass found out the real reason why, he wouldn't be very happy. Not that he could do much against it if it was the Queen who had ordered for Emma to eat with her, but it just wasn't well seen for a queen and a servant to eat together. Not to mention that, from what she had heard and understood, the Chamberlain liked for everyone to remain in their stations and not get any ideas. Eating with the Queen would certainly not fit in that category, and would probably lead to getting into a lot of trouble with him.

"Well no matter. Off you go."

So Emma did as he demanded, and went to the mess hall to eat. Red wasn't anywhere to be seen, so she ate alone, hoping that by the time she was done, the chamberlain would be gone and she could head to sleep easily.

Half an hour later, she was slowly making her way to the Queen's chambers, taking more time to try to minimize the chances of being met with Sir Glass once more. It seemed likeshe was in luck, for he was nowhere to be seen when she arrived at the door. Seeing that it was late, she figured that there was no need to knock, and just entered the room.

Emma was surprised to find that the Queen was still up, sitting in an armchair by the fire and reading, a glass of wine on the table beside her from the bottle she had brought with her dinner. The Queen looked up when the door opened, the barest hint of a smile when she saw who it was. "I missed you at dinner."

Going to close the door behind her, Emma tried to figure out how to respond, because the Queen just implied that she had been looking forward to eating with her, even after telling Glass in no uncertain terms that she wanted to be left alone. "My apologies, your Majesty. Sir Glass assumed that I was just delivering the food, and since I wasn't sure you would have wanted my company after how your meeting went, I didn't press."

Looking curiously at Emma, she asked, "And how  _did_  you know how the meeting went?"

Emma blushed a bit and explained how she was there when the Council was leaving. "When I heard you tell Sir Glass that you wished to be alone, I figured that you were too exhausted to entertain dinner with someone else."

The Queen nodded slowly. "Well for future reference, you are exempt from those blanket statements. But now, I am quite tired, so I shall retire for the evening. Good night Emma."

"Good night, my Queen."

She froze after she said it. She didn't even know what possessed her to say it. The correct way to address her was 'your Majesty'. While this wasn't disrespectful, it was much more casual. "I-I mean-"

The Queen held up a hand to stop Emma from speaking, her expression one of mirth. "I actually quite like it. You are welcome to use that to address me."

So Emma was left gaping as the Queen closed the door to her room. By the time she herself went to sleep, she was no less baffled by what had transpired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is where I leave things for now!
> 
> Next chapter will be the ball, so it's going to be quite something.
> 
> Meanwhile I'll be updating In Sickness and In Health, and then Her Stable Girl.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	4. The Autumnal Equinox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! A few things before we start.
> 
> First, I completely forgot to mention it, but this story has shifted from a T rating to an M one. I'm really sorry for not mentioning it before, I hope no one minds, and it is a semi-important plot point, hence why I'm including it! I mean I could just fade to black, but I feel people might enjoy the alternative. It's at the end of the chapter, so if it does bother, once things start getting...steamier [for lack of better word] you can just call it a chapter there.
> 
> Secondly, due to the immense enthusiasm and the amount of people wanting this story updated, I'll be making this a double update! Also it's my way of apologizing for once more taking forever to update. And this is a very long chapter already, to also help make up for the amount of time it took me to update.
> 
> Thirdly! Cover! So this is actually going to be from a scene in this chapter, but for now will also serve as a cover for now. And you can get an idea of how their costumes look! It's in the first chapter for those interested.
> 
> I'm really happy everyone's been enjoying the story, so without further ado, let's get this show on the road!

"Oh don't forget, you should probably book your room," Red suddenly suggested as they were walking into town. It was Saturday, and they were going to pick up Emma's suit from Jasmine's.

"Book my room?" Emma asked slowly, enunciating each word with more confusion.

Red nodded. "Yeah, it's customary to end the night by heading to a room and...you know."

She nudged Emma in the ribs a couple of times and added a wink.

"What, sex?" Emma bluntly stated.

Sagging her shoulders, Red rolled her eyes. "Way to be blunt, but yes, you get copious amounts of sex with your mysterious partner."

"I see. And uhm, how exactly is this entire night of mystery achieved? I mean, even if everyone was fair game, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't dare to ask any of the higher staff for a dance," Emma commented.

"That's the beauty of it. Sometime next week, we'll all get to pick up masks. They're nothing too fancy, just colombina masks. But once you put them on, voila, your identity is now hidden!"

Emma made a face of disbelief. "Sorry to be the rain on your festivities, but I'm pretty sure I'd still be able to recognize mostly everyone even if they were wearing a mask."

Red held up a finger and wagged it once for effect. "But, not if they're enchanted. I'm not too sure on the specifics, but it's this magic that makes everyone look unrecognizable while looking through the mask. You still look like yourself, but others won't be able to tell."

"And it actually works?"

"Yep, the Queen does it herself."

"Wait, the  _Queen_  actually partakes in this?" Emma spluttered.

With a hum, Red nodded. "Yep. But before you ask, I don't know the details. I've just heard tell that she attends these events, but no one ever picks her. Or at least, no one's bedded her from what I heard through the grapevines. And I'm certain someone would've boasted about it by now if they had."

"So literally anyone in the castle is fair game?" came the next inquiry.

"Almost anyone," Red amended. "I know for a fact that Glass and Jones thankfully don't participate, neither do the guards. A shame really, the guards are quite sexy."

Emma rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Okay, so we get these masks, we're anonymous, and we attend a ball. Then we just have our wicked way with our partners for the night whenever we want?"

"Not quite. You must wait until midnight to head to the rooms, as is customary. That is also why we rent rooms, not everyone has rooms of their own, and those that do would be easily given away because of the uniqueness of each room."

"And what happens the next morning? Do we just wake up, reveal ourselves, and then go back to our lives?" Emma supposed she should feel a bit repentant for asking so many questions, but she was very curious about this tradition, and she'd be damned if she didn't find out everything in order to not mess up on the night of.

"Well that depends on the person. I've know a few people that have found a relationship with their partners at the ball. And, you don't reveal yourselves the next day, you can do it at midnight. Might take away a bit of the mystery, but still makes for a wonderful night of intrigue."

They finally made their way into town, and strode over to Jasmine's shop,  _Agrabah Tailors_. Jasmine was busy with a customer, so they sat and continued to talk about the ball. Red filled her in on more details, eager to talk. When Jasmine came back with Emma's clothes, she tried it on to make sure everything fit nicely, and Red let out an appreciative whistle.

"Damn, you look very handsome!" she said, raking her eyes up and down Emma.

Emma merely blushed and offered a demure "thanks" before went back to change, deeming that the clothes fit perfectly. When they left the store, they noticed the time with a look of trepidation. They were late.

"Shit!" they both uttered before they took off at a run, bolting right out of town and startling many villagers with their speed and unruliness as they weaved through the throngs of people.

Soon enough, both workers were rushing back down the path towards the castle.

"Archie open the gate!" they began hollering as soon as they were in sight of the side entrance. They nearly crashed into the iron gate as they turned to enter the castle, barely offering Archie a sign of acknowledgement as he held the gate open with a look of pure confusion. He would've thought they were being chased by bears with their screaming.

Before long, they had crossed the grounds and scrambled into the castle, slowing down slightly to not be caught running by the Chamberlain. No matter how late they were, running was always forbidden, especially since it was the worker's fault for being late in the first place. Emma winced as she made her way down the halls; she had felt the slight pressure in her wrist, probably from the Queen summoning her, ever since the crossed the threshold of the castle's grounds. As she got closer to the Queen's chambers, she hoped she wouldn't be in too much trouble.

Finally, she was at the door, and she took a moment to catch her breath, ignoring the looks the guards at the door must surely be giving her, before knocking.

"Enter," the Queen coolly commanded from inside, sounding none-too-happy.

Emma pushed the door open and found the Queen lounging on her settee, regarding her with a calculating gaze, finally settling on the garment bag. "Where were you?"

Closing the door behind her, Emma took a big gulp of air before regaling, "I'm really sorry my Queen, I was in town picking up my clothes for the ball next week."

The Queen betrayed nothing as she continued with, "Surely it doesn't take nearly five hours to get to town, pick up your garments, and return?"

"Er, no, you Majesty, but Red took a while to finish up in the kitchens, and when we arrived, Jasmine was busy. Then I had to try my clothes on to make sure they fit on me properly, and remove them again before I left. By the time we were done at the seamstress, we realized we were late, and we rushed back as fast as we could." Emma dutifully explained in one breath.

"I see. Well, please deposit your clothes in your room and then fetch our meals. I'm quite famished, and I'm sure you are too, seeing as you  _ran_  back here."

Emma couldn't believe her luck. The Queen was much more lenient than she let on. Emma did as she was ordered, and went to pick up the food. Red was getting berated by Granny, so she got another maid, a young woman named Tiana, to prepare her food. Once she had the tray, she made her way down back to the Queen's chambers.

By the time they sat down to eat, Emma had to admit she was starving. But appearances were appearances, especially in the company of the Queen, and Emma ate with practised control, thankful that they had forgone any pretense of talking, which would've only delayed getting more food into her stomach, as it was very impolite to speak while eating, particularly in the presence of the Queen.

When they had both cleared their plates, the Queen sat back on her chair to regard Emma. The blonde wavered under the gaze and looked away, fidgeting with her hands under the table.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and spoke up. "My deepest apologies once again, my Queen. It was not my intention to delay your lunch and-" she stopped immediately when the Queen raised a hand lazily, palm out.

"You needn't apologize. It was a special occasion, I wouldn't hold it against you," she explained with a soft smile. In Emma's opinion, the Queen was the furthest thing from her moniker right now. She noticed her look and said, "What are you thinking?"

"Pardon?" Emma asked, startled.

"You have that look on when you're in deep thought."

How the Queen had garnered that after their little time together, she didn't know. But still Emma smiled, she was not about to say what  _really_  was going through her mind, but she could say something on a similar vein. "I was just thinking that you are very merciful for what happened today. I have had other masters who were not so forgiving."

The Queen hummed. "And usually I am not, but I quite enjoy having you around, not only with your chores, but your company as well, so I find myself more forgiving because I'd hate to lose you for something so trivial, especially on the weekend. But," she fixed her unwavering look back onto Emma, "that's not what you were thinking about, is it?"

After spending some time with the Queen, Emma had come to realize that it was very hard to get anything quite past her, so she nodded her concession. "Fair enough, it was one of the things, but more specifically I was thinking that you have a beautiful smile, it's hard to believe your reputation is that of the Evil Queen, rather than the fairest of all lands."

When the Queen let out a bark of laughter, Emma believed that she seemed even more beautiful, if that was at all possible. "I am flattered you think so, dear, but that title has been taken by Snow White, and as insipid as she is, I won't dispute her for it, she can keep the title for all I care. The less I have to deal with her, the better."

Emma had heard about the mysterious long-standing feud between the Queen and Snow White. When she was really young, she remembered Ingrid showing her the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated feature. Who would've thought that so many years later, she would be sharing meals with the Evil Queen, working in her castle?

She was curious about this hatred, it didn't seem to be common knowledge, and she doubted that the little she knew from hearsay was actually true. "Why is there such animosity between you both?"

Seeing that the Queen was looking at her as if she had sprouted another head, Emma guessed that this wasn't a question she was often asked. Or perhaps she had assumed that Emma believed some of the far-fetched tales whispered. She sighed. "It's a long and arduous story, one that I don't really fancy getting into. Now, I've kept you long enough, and you probably want to get out and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, not be cooped up here, so off you go."

She knew a clear dismissal when she was given one, so she nodded and stood up, gathering their empty plates and used utensils, depositing them onto the tray. The Queen had gotten up and was now sitting at her desk, poring over some parchment sheets. It looked like tedious and boring work.

"My apologies if I overstepped a boundary, your Majesty," Emma said. "I was merely curious."

The Queen waved it off. "I'm not taking offense to it. I merely do not wish to speak of it right now, and I do have quite a bit of paperwork."

Then Emma got an idea. She had only ever seen the Queen working, or being her prim queenly self tending to matters of the kingdom and the castle. "Would you like to go for a walk?" she asked before she lost her bravado.

Largely resembling an owl, the Queen turned to her and asked, "I beg your pardon?"

Emma bit her lip for a second before trying again. "As you said earlier, it is a beautiful day, and I can't help but notice that you haven't made any plans to enjoy the fresh air. Perhaps you would like to take a walk around outside?...Your Majesty," she tacked at the end, feeling that this could either go spectacularly, or lead her ending up in the Chamberlain's office due to her impertinence towards the Queen.

But the Queen didn't seem affronted, in fact, she sounded sorrowful as she said, "I appreciate the offer, but I really do have a lot of paperwork."

"Surely you can spare half an hour?" Emma said with a disarming smile. She was nothing if not persistent.

The monarch regarded her with searching eyes before nodding. "Very well, why not. It has been a while since I've been to my gardens, I should tend to it. I will go change, and you can take the tray back to the kitchen, and then meet me by my gardens' entrance."

Emma nodded and did as she was asked, depositing the tray by the sink and leaving. She didn't see Red, so she assumed she didn't get as easily off her punishment as Emma had, and was still being berated by Granny. A few minutes later, she was standing in front of the gates that led to the Queen's private gardens. It was well-known that these areas were strictly off-limits to anyone who wasn't given explicit permission by the Queen, or was accompanying her personally. It was also why the garden remained locked. Red had once told her that there was no key for it, it could only be opened with the Queen's magic.

And indeed, when the monarch arrived with a hand-basket in tow, she merely flicked her hand and the gate unlocked with an audible click. 'Shall we?"

"After you, your Majesty," Emma responded with a small bow, holding the door open.

* * *

Regina was finding herself fascinated with her new handmaiden. For the most part, she was respectful and did everything that she was asked for without questions, but she couldn't help but enjoy the moments when Emma wasn't just her handmaiden, but a nice conversational partner, keeping her company as well, especially on days when she needed someone to talk to, or even to just unwind. And then there were moments like these, when Emma was becoming surer of herself and valiantly asked Regina to take a walk.

There had been many times in the past where Regina would've burnt someone to a crisp for something like this. No one told her what to do, nor insisted on something that she had previously said no to. As they walked through the gardens, Regina kept glancing at Emma, who was walking purposely with her hands clasped behind her back, two paces behind the monarch, head bowed.

"You may keep pace with me, and you needn't look down," Regina commented as she raised her head to look forward again. "These gardens are to be looked at, and the paving stones are nothing remarkable."

Emma took a longer step forward and was now walking side by side with Regina, looking around reverently. "This place is beautiful, my Queen."

"Thank you. And when it's just the two of us, you may call me Regina." She wasn't sure what possessed her to say such a thing. She liked Emma saying 'my Queen', and it certainly wasn't pertinent of someone of Emma's station to be referring to her Queen by her first name. But she so enjoyed Emma's company, and if the circumstances were different, she wouldn't find it very hard to think that she could be courting the blonde. In fact, even with their current circumstances, Regina was finding herself charmed with Emma.

"It's a very beautiful name," Emma squeaked, clearly beyond astonished.

Regina smiled, sneaking a glance at her handmaiden, and saw the wide eyes furtively looking back forward as if she hadn't just been gaping at Regina. "You needn't be so surprised, Emma. I respect you enough to treat you as an equal. After all, you're tending to my needs and wants on a daily basis, so you most certainly deserve it."

When Brunhilde had been alive, Regina had had a similar respect for her. And she generally tended to enjoy sometimes meeting her more long-term staff. After all, if they were going to be working for her and making sure the castle was functioning properly and presentable, it wouldn't be very queenly of her to be ignorant on who exactly was caring for it. She left the day-to-day tending to Sidney because she couldn't manage everything at once, and that was what a Chamberlain had been made for. She trusted him, after being in her service for many years, and he seemed to manage the castle quite efficiently from what his reports indicated, despite his quite obvious infatuation with her.

"Oh I would never presume to be even halfway near in consideration as an equal to you," Emma responded with a smile.

"Nonsense," Regina said, in a tone that clearly stated that as she was a queen, she always got what she wanted and her word was law. Emma couldn't very well argue with that, at least publicly.

But she still wouldn't be so quick as to act as if she was Regina's equal. She might be a bit more casual on some aspects, as she had been until now, but still defer to her as she had been taught to do. Deciding to weave back to a safer topic, she got back to where they last left off. "I'm impressed with the garden, you've done a wonderful job tending to this place."

They had arrived at a courtyard with an enormous apple tree. Very few had been privileged to join her here, but Regina felt that Emma was more than worthy of it. "Thank you. It's nice to be able to get away and do something that doesn't involve politics or diplomacy."

Emma nodded in understanding. "I can tell. These apples are so red!"

Regina chuckled at Emma's enthusiasm. "You can have one, if you like."

If Emma had been a little bit more foolhardy, she would've made a quip about Evil Queens and red apples that may or may not be poisoned. But, as she didn't know much about the history between Regina and Snow White, she thought it'd be best if she just went to pluck a fruit out of the tree, rub it against her shirt sleeve, before taking a hearty bite out of it. "This is delish!"

Merely beaming, Regina accepted the compliment before beginning to pluck some of the lower hanging apples and depositing them in her basket. Emma also joined in, using her free hand to pluck the fruits she could reach, and placed them on top of Regina's growing pile.

At being faced with a particularly high apple, Emma tried to jump and reach it, even climbing onto the bench at the base of the tree to get higher, but her leg irons weighted her down and didn't make her particularly springy to catch anything. Regina had been watching with amusement, until she saw the iron surrounding her maiden's legs, surely they weren't part of her uniform, she merely had the leather bracers. "Why must you wear those?"

Emma landed on the balls of her feet and looked at Regina in confusion. "Wear what?"

"Those dreadful manacles on your feet," the monarch responded, looking at them as if they were fowl.

At first, Emma was unsure if Regina was joking. Surely she knew what they were. But she didn't.

That afternoon, Queen Regina got a rude awakening about what her servants really went through. Since the only workers she had gotten bothered to know were the permanent staff that worked for her on a healthy stipend and actually enjoyed working there, she was largely unaware of what happened to her temporary staff. Obviously she knew there were servant traders who worked within the grey areas regarding their treatment of servants, but the better ones offered trained workers to those who could afford the coin to pay for them. She had also been told that at the end of the year, most workers chose to leave her castle, and she had always assumed that it was because of her reputation.

Emma shook her head. "We'd all prefer to stay if the place is nice and the employer is decent. Stable employment at a good kingdom is any servant's dream, and this certainly fits the bill. Really, anything is better than having to return to Silas. But most of us get the boot because we're deemed expendable, since it's cheaper to just hire new ones than having to pay for our freedom and having to take the responsibility of paying our stipend."

That led to a discussion on how much servants were paid, and how that broken system worked, though Emma didn't mention that the Chamberlain had his own shady dealings. By the time they went back into the castle for dinner, Regina's mind was reeling.

Just how much had she let slip through her fingers?

And how much was Sidney keeping from her?

* * *

Unfortunately, she wouldn't get much time to dwell on that, since the ball was less than a week away, and preparations were all over. Truth of the matter was, she was the one who planned the entire thing and orchestrated it all.

It had started a few years ago. Her castle was dreadfully silent and dreary. She wanted to host a ball of some sorts, get spirits lifted by everyone in the castle, but she didn't want to host a formal party where she had to invite dignitaries from other kingdoms. No, that would involve too much diplomacy. She wanted to enjoy herself, not hold herself to society's standards. She wanted to do something where there were no societal regulations, where everyone was equal to everyone else.

It wasn't hard to get the word out. She just had to disguise herself a bit, make her way into the kitchens, and before long, Red had blabbed to the entire castle. But for all her efforts, when the party arrived, she was still lonely. Sure she got a few dances here and there, but she never ended up spending the night with anyone. It was as if they all unconsciously realized she was the Queen and slowly edged away from her throughout the course of the night.

At the same time, she couldn't very well stop the tradition just because of that. It'd be incredibly selfish of her, plus she saw how excited everyone got. So she persisted. In charge of the room rental, she had roped a young baker named Thomas and put him in charge of it, since he was free most of the day to handle the orders. She didn't charge for their usage for one night, that would be cruel of her, plus she had no need to make a profit from what had become a night for her workers.

Halfway through the week, Regina had finished enchanting the masks, and they were ready. Now, whenever someone looked through the eye holes of the mask, everyone would look vague, perhaps familiar, but unrecognizable. She had them deposited in the kitchen by the mess hall where anyone could pick up a random one. They were a motley of paper mache masks with various colours decorating its surface, some had sequins and faux jewels as well as gilded decorations.

When Saturday arrived, Regina changed quietly in her room, adjusting the deep blue dress that fell from her shoulders before she picked up her gilded mask, decorated with swirls and a pattern right in the middle between her brows. She adjusted it on her face and looked at herself in the mirror, offering herself a smile before she exited her room. She offered Emma's door a small glance, wondering if the blonde had already left. Knowing her maiden's beauty and easy demeanour, she probably had already snagged a partner for herself, though a small part of her wished she would pick her. Emma would never do that. Surely her kindness towards her employer was just for that, because Regina had the power to fire her or keep her. But now was not the time to muse, Regina decided, driving the thoughts out of her head and made her way to the ballroom. Already there were couples whispering sweet nothings to one another by dark corners, and she looked wistfully at them. Perhaps this year would be different.

* * *

Emma was making her way down the hallway, checking that she had the key to her rented room in her pocket, when she suddenly wondered what would happen if she was unlucky at finding a partner. It surely would be a blow for ego, but she tried looking on the bright side, perhaps she would meet the woman of her dreams instead.

It was no secret that Emma fancied girls. Every single placement she had been in, no matter how strict the house staff were with their rules, Emma had always managed to enchant some fellow servant to warm her bed, but it was always temporary, which quickly tired her. She wanted something that could last. It also didn't help that she'd never had stable employment, but if maybe the Queen was honest about her enjoying Emma's company, then she would get to stay around and establish some roots in the castle.

As her thoughts drifted to the Queen, Emma wondered if perhaps she would see her tonight. Maybe she would even dance with her and not realize it. Certainly such a beautiful woman could get anyone in the room, it made Emma wonder if she really never found a partner, or if they were sworn to secrecy.

When she entered through the double doors, Emma had to stop herself from gaping. It truly was a magnificent room. The varnished wooden floors, the painted murals and ceiling were already splendid, but the stained glass windows and chandelier bathing the room in yellow added a magnificent note to it. To one side, a band was playing soft waltz, while the other side held a small buffet. Directly across from her, bay doors led to a terrace, where some steps down would lead to the public gardens

Keeping to the sides, Emma watched as couples danced, while also roaming the individuals who were also standing to the side. Near the bay doors, she spotted a gorgeous brunette in a rich blue dress with her hair pinned up loosely and a golden mask on her face. She was smiling lightly, and Emma could've sworn she knew her from somewhere, but of course the magic would prevent her from truly knowing.

Approaching her, she cleared her throat. The brunette turned to her and smiled. Emma imagined that she raised an eyebrow beneath the mask as she asked, "May I help you?"

"I was wondering if you might join me for a dance," Emma responded, holding her hand out.

* * *

Regina glanced at the mysterious blonde with hair cascading past her shoulders in a way that seemed almost ethereal. The deep red jacket and vest combo were exquisitely complimentary to the black pants and boots she was wearing. The half blue, half yellow mask with golden leaves and vines decorating the surface partially covered her face but it did not hide her beauty. She felt herself smiling at the contagious yet charming grin, accepting the proffered hand by placing her own within. "Certainly."

The blonde looked ecstatic that she had said yes, and as they danced, Regina couldn't help but wonder that she looked very familiar. Although it would be easy for her to cheat by not enchanting her own mask, the sense of mystery was too enticing to give up. So she danced a few rounds of songs, finding herself getting lost in her partner's arms.

By the time the third song ended, they bodies were flush against each other, and their breaths were intermingling. Her partner smiled and said, "Want to go take a walk outside? It's kinda stuffy in here."

"I do agree. Shall we?" Regina said, moving back and away. She stopped when she felt the her partner hadn't let go of her left hand, which had been clasped together with the blonde's own. She looked at her curiously, wondering what was going on.

The blonde made a small bow, and then kissed the back of her hand softly. Regina was thankful that part of her cheeks were covered by the mask, and therefore hid her blush at least partially. She stood back straight and offered Regina her bent arm to take. "Now let's go."

They walked outside arms linked. "It's a beautiful night."

Regina hummed, breathing deeply. "It most certainly is."

"So tell me about yourself. I know we got to keep it mysterious and all of that, but I suppose we should still get to know one another."

It felt refreshing for Regina to hear that. "Sounds fair. Let's see. What can I tell you about myself that won't give me away..."

Her partner laughed. "You can start by your favourite colour?"

"That I can do, and by the clothes I'm wearing, you can imagine what it is," Regina responded coyly.

"Blue?"

Regina nodded. "Pale blue is my absolute favourite, but yes, it's a calming and soothing colour."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm quite the opposite," the blonde responded, jerking her thumb to the red vest and jacket. "Mine is more vibrant and less relaxed."

"Red suits you though," Regina responded, taking the time to rake her eyes over her partner's body, subtly appreciating the craftsmanship of whoever sowed this piece. It looked like it had been made for her, accentuating strong arms but still showing off a lithe body.

With a grin a the compliment, Regina could've sworn she also puffed her chest out a bit in pride. "Alright, next question, your turn."

"Do you like it here?" So much for her asking simple non-descriptive questions.

"The gardens or the castle itself?" she asked, clarifying.

Although she had a chance to save face and say the former, Regina was curious. "The latter."

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't ask for a better place to work really, surprisingly enough."

Regina latched onto the last two words. "Oh? Why so?"

"Because everyone always went off about how the Dark Kingdom was horrible, but it's not like that at all. Everyone is happy here, we mostly work like a family, and even the Queen is nice...from the little I've seen of her of course."

* * *

Emma's last minute catch and addendum was surprisingly fluid, at least in her mind. She hoped her date wouldn't infer who she really was. It seemed she didn't, for she just smiled and nodded. "And you? Do you like the castle?"

"Indeed, though I admit I don't interact as much with others who work here," she admitted. "I feel like I've gotten out of touch, and don't even know how to reinsert myself."

"Just talk to them, everyone's pretty friendly," Emma suggested. Then she realized that perhaps she was speaking to someone of a higher station than her. Emma glanced at the large sleeves her partner wore, and noticed the brown bracers were the same as the ones she had under her own jacket. Red had told her that for tonight, some of the higher staff who didn't wear them usually put fake ones on to assimilate.

But even still, Emma supposed that they had their reasons for hiding. It'd be a dead giveaway if they wore nothing.

"Perhaps I shall," she responded with a smile. "Next question."

Emma thought about the next question for a bit. "If you could go anywhere, where would you go?"

"You mean to live in another kingdom?"

"Or another world," Emma clarified.

"To be quite frank, I've never been to any other world but this one," the brunette said shyly.

"That's perfectly fine," Emma responded, waving it off. "I was merely curious. For example, if I had to choose, I would choose the world I was born in. It's a world full of marvels, much more advanced than this one."

Her partner seemed genuinely intrigued. "That sounds fascinating! I have always wanted to explore, but never got a chance."

They continued walking until they approached the large central fountain in the middle of the garden. By then, Emma had moved her arm so she was now holding hands with her date, swinging their arms idly together, garnering a giggle from the brunette. Emma beamed at the reaction, and then gently tugged on the arm, pulling her closer to Emma.

She stumbled a bit and splayed her hand on Emma's chest.

* * *

Regina was certain that it had been a good many years since she had blushed this much and reacted like this. She felt like a young girl, and she enjoyed this feeling. Seeing that she was standing so close, she felt her breath hitch as she looked back into the nondescript green eyes, before glancing at the blonde's lips, and moving ever so closer, silently asking permission.

With an almost imperceptible nod, she moved to meet Regina's lips in a sweet kiss. Regina let out a small moan at the soft kiss, and then quickly brought her hands to the blonde's cheeks and turned their kiss more fervent, her tongue sliding past open lips. She felt hands clutch at her hips, pulling their bodies flush together, and she smiled into the kiss.

Hearing some rustling nearby, they broke apart quickly, as if they'd be in trouble if they were caught. Both women began looking around for the source of noise, but when they found none, they looked back to one another with shy smiles.

"How about we find a secluded tree and continue where we left off?" her partner suggested.

"I have a better idea," Regina said with a mischievous smirk, grabbing the blonde's hands and pulling her along.

Soon enough, they were in front of the Queen's private gardens, and her partner faltered. "Er, are we allowed to be here?"

"Certainly, the gate's open," Regina responded with a minute shrug, pointing to the open entrance. Not to mention that she was the Queen, so of course they were allowed to be in there. But her partner didn't know that, so Regina just fed her the open door story. "The Queen always opens the gardens for tonight."

"Alright then, lead the way!"

They made their way in, and Regina was finding it hard to wait any longer to kiss the delectable lips again, so she rushed to the side, pining the blonde against a tree, and languidly kissing her, ecstatic when the kiss was returned with vigour after a moment's confusion. When they parted to breathe, Regina was feeling proud of the blush she left on the gorgeous woman in front of her. "Come on, let's go."

Her partner had barely managed to get a word in before she was chuckling at being dragged by Regina. Eventually, they arrived at the courtyard with the famous apple tree. It was quieter there, the sounds of the party didn't reach there, but neither woman minded. They were content to just listen to the sounds of the night, crickets chirping and the wind rustling.

"There's a bench we can sit on," Regina pointed out, looking directly underneath the tree.

The blonde plopped down on the cool stone, before grabbing Regina's arm and pulling her to sit on her lap. Regina gave in and let out a small laugh at the gesture and kissed soft lips. She placed her hand on her partner's chest and gently pushed a bit. "You can lean back against the tree, you know?"

Biting her lip, she hesitated. "Won't we get into trouble? I mean, I don't want to cross some boundary and find out that touching this tree, or even leaning against it, is forbidden and have guards storming in."

Regina laughed. "I promise you won't get into any trouble."

So her partner leaned back and got comfortable, while Regina wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck. They continued to talk, moving from personal facts to little stories that they had experienced or heard and were particularly funny.

Soon enough though, their conversation died out when they heard the tell-tale clink-clank of the guards' armour, and Regina looked up with a frown at the two incoming guards. She had kept her garden open in the eventuality she wanted to bring someone here to spend time uninterrupted; it didn't give her guards any right to waltz in here, and she gritted her teeth to stop herself from getting up and berating them for their callousness.

But she couldn't reveal herself, what if her date bolted away when she found out the truth? So Regina stayed sitting, clutching ever so tighter to the blonde, and she felt her do the same to the hand currently resting on Regina's thigh, while the other hand continued rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Well well, what've we got here?" one man asked, leering.

"Minding our business, as should you," Regina responded icily.

The first guard nudged the second enthusiastically. "Lookit this Roger, little servant thinks she can boss us around."

Both guards began laughing, and Regina had half a mind to throw it all to hell and give them a piece of her mind, or maybe a fireball might do the trick, when she felt her partner pat her thigh and quietly say, "Hey, move over for a bit, I need to get up."

Regina did so, more confused than anything, and sat on the bench while the blonde stood up to stand in front of the snickering guards, with the posture of someone confident.

* * *

Emma was currently quaking. Or rather, she was quaking internally, she hoped it wasn't showing.

"How about you buggers buzz off?" she snarled, fists clenching.

"Oy, Brant, this one 'ere thinks she's tough," Roger snorted, finger pointed as if to jab Emma, but she swatted it away. He howled in laughter at Emma's show of bravado. "What're you gonna do, girlie? You gonna report us or somthin'?"

With more bravado than she had, she defiantly ground out, "Maybe."

However, the two brutes didn't seem to think her threat was anything serious.

Brant grew smug, hands clutching the front of his belt self-importantly. "Look here, these are the Queen's private gardens. The gates were open, and we came to investigate. We found you lasses here being all cozy, so who do you think will get in trouble with the bitch?"

Emma faltered. "The bitch?"

Roger snorted. "Yeah,  _her majesty_ , the royal pain in the arse."

"Is that how little respect you have for her?" Emma tersely responded. She knew she wasn't the protector of the Queen's dignity and she probably had been called worse than what these dunces were spewing out. But she still felt a need to defend her. Regina didn't deserve being insulted behind her back.

"Respect? She's the Evil Queen, not much respect to be had."

That was it. She stalked up to Brant, and the burly man faltered. Emma used that to her advantage, and with her right hand, she yanked the sword from the scabbard hanging off of his belt, pointing the wide blade against both men's throats.

"I don't care who you two think you are, but you you two will leave us alone, and go wash your mouths with plenty of soap, then start treating your Queen with respect. Am I clear?"

They both nodded dumbly, too shocked to do much else.

"Good," Emma said, shoving the sword back in its sheath none-too-gently. "Now get!"

Scrambling to get away, Emma watched the two with a smug satisfaction, before sagging and making her way back to the bench, plopping down and leaning back against the trunk. "Sorry, they were getting on my nerves."

* * *

Regina meanwhile, was watching her partner in absolute fascination. She had defended  _her_ , Regina, without knowing that Regina herself was right there. She felt absolutely astounded. "It's quite alright," she murmured, going to sit once more on the blonde's lap. "You did what you thought was right."

With a hum, they both settled in the embrace, sharing a kiss before Regina decided to voice a burning question. "This might seem a bit random but, do you know who I am?"

The blonde shook her head. "No...should I?"

"No, it's just, you said something earlier that had me thinking," Regina vaguely admitted.

She once again shook her head. "Nope. Do you know who I am?"

"I wish I did," she responded, going to kiss her again. "I also wish we could just take our masks off, but rules are rules."

With a hum, they looked towards the clock tower on the castle. It was a few minutes past 11.

"Soon," her partner whispered, delivering a swift kiss.

A little while later, Regina was raptly listening to a story about an owl that had once made a nest perched above the blonde's window.

"Can you imagine a year having to listen to that darn hoot-hoot every day?" she huffed. "It once tried to enter my room once too, but I swatted it away with a broomstick, so it learned its lesson. Unfortunately the broom couldn't reach the nest. I think that was its revenge for getting smacked with a broom."

Regina's shoulders shook, unable to contain the laughter. "It seems you've had plenty of adventures, I do quite envy you."

"It helps to pass the time, focusing on the extraordinary rather then the bleak." After a glance at the clock, her partner added, "Should we start making our way inside?"

It was a quarter to midnight. Regina nodded enthusiastically.

"Your room or mine?"

"Yours," Regina quickly responded. She obviously hadn't rented a room, for she didn't think she'd actually get this far, not to mention that she couldn't very well be seen heading up to Thomas and asking for a room.

"Alright then, let's go." They both stood up, and entwined their arms together, heading back inside the castle.

* * *

Emma had previously checked the room out, to at least make sure she knew where it was. It wouldn't very well do to rent a room and then bumble around the entire castle in search of it. They had passed other couples on their way, everyone engrossed with their partners. It was nearly midnight, so everyone had one clear destination in mind.

For her part, Regina was indecisive. She wanted to have a night of wanton passion, but she wouldn't let her moniker destroy that. Removing her mask would certainly destroy that.

"Here we are," Emma said, opening the door.

She walked inside, and Emma followed right after, closing the door behind her.

Right at that moment, the clock struck midnight, and Regina wasted no time in once more pinning the blonde, this time against the door.

Emma moaned through the kisses, bringing up her hands to tangle in Regina's hair, undoing the loose bun in seconds.

Regina moved her own hands to unbutton the vest and suit, her movements rapid and jerky, clearly too preoccupied with kissing to move meticulously.

As they broke for air, both panting, they removed the rest of their clothes, Emma helping with Regina's dress, moving to the four poster bed while discarding clothes onto the stone floor until all they were both wearing were their knickers and their masks.

Deciding to take charge, Emma wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, and lifted her slightly so they could fall onto the bed, with her on top.

"So, should we do away with the mystery?" Emma asked with a smirk.

Regina returned the smirk in kind and raised an eyebrow. "It is kind of dark and we won't be able to see anything, unless you want to get a fire going?"

Emma hummed. "Don't care, we can find out tomorrow," she said in between kisses. "Now, I want to ravish you."

Placing both thumbs underneath the mask, Emma pushed it up and away. The only light in the room was coming from the window, and it was too far away to light her partner's face, but Emma could still see she was gorgeous.

Soon enough, her mask was divested as well, and Emma set to work exploring. She kissed every inch of skin that she could find, trailing her fingers around the sides, encouraged by the moans above her. She massaged the soft skin, entranced by the beauty she was having the honour of touching.

Sliding further down, Emma stripped the brunette of her underwear, and brought her face closer to Regina's core.

The minute Regina felt the first long lick against her slit, she clenched her thighs around Emma's head, fingers clutching at the blonde tresses, urging her to move closer.

And Emma didn't disappoint. She varied her strokes and moved higher, to the round little nub, circling it until she felt, more than heard, her partner come.

She felt the legs release their pressure, allowing Emma to more more freely and lap up the juices before she moved away and back to meet Regina's lips, but taking her sweet time to reach the destination, greeting the expanse of skin with soft kisses once more, before finally planting a deep kiss on the brunette's lips.

Regina took the opportunity to flip them, settling her pelvis between Emma's legs, grinding into the blonde, holding her hips with her hands. As she continued to grind, she moved her hands to Emma's breasts, fondling them and pinching the hardened nubs, swallowing Emma's voice with her deep kiss.

Then, she moved her right hand to come between their bodies, ghosting over the sensitive area with nimble fingers. Regina felt the wetness between her fingers, and wasted no time entering Emma with two fingers.

Emma's back arched right off the bed before landing once more with a flop that made the bed shake. Regina broke their kiss, hearing Emma whimper at the loss, but it soon turned into a loud moan as Regina latched onto her partner's pulse point, certain she would leave a mark.

She continued to move her fingers in and out, sometimes scissoring her fingers inside, feeling as Emma came closer and closer to the edge, curling her fingers at just the right moment, being rewarded with the sweet sounds of the blonde's orgasm.

They continued trading places and techniques to make their partners experience immense pleasure, sometimes whispering sweet nothings on the other's beauty, sometimes filling the air with more vulgar terms that would make quite a few respectable women blush. They kept it up until they could no more, and collapsed beside one another.

As they lay tired and boneless, they traded lazy kisses, still unaware of the other's identity, until they succumbed to sleep, but not before Emma pulled the fur covers to warm their naked bodies against the night chill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is where I leave you wonderful readers! In a few days [hopefully, if my fever and virus cooperate] we'll deal with the morning after!
> 
> As you can tell, we're delving into the specifics about Emma's...'employment', Regina's opinion on the matter, and what that means in a greater context.
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts on the ball! And erhm, the final scene!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!


	5. A Theft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Our ladies had quite the night, and now morning has come!
> 
> And to the guest wondering about their voices, worry not, that is explained! :)
> 
> So let's get this show on the road!

When Emma felt sunlight hitting her eyes, she blinked them open and squinted, trying to get a bearing of her surroundings. Then the previous night's events came rushing back to her, and she focused on the gorgeous brunette that she was spooning.

She still had no idea who it was that she had spent the night with, but she figured she would find out soon. But she was too comfortable to sate her curiosity. So she gently squeezed her arms, wrapped around the brunette's waist, and burrowed her head deep into the the brown locks in front of her, fully intent on going back to sleep and finding out later, when she was more awake. Plus the long brunette hair was curtaining her partner's face, so she probably wouldn't be able to look until then. Even if she was truly desperate to know, it would be impossible to part her hair without waking her. So with a determined sigh, Emma settled back down and closed her eyes.

But the sun was still shining brightly, too much so, and with a small groan, Emma wondered why it had decided to be specifically annoying so early in the day, until she decided to look at the clock. It was well-past 9am. She was late.

As if she had been set on fire, Emma practically jumped away from her comfortable spot, scrambling out of the bed with no finesse, uttering a series of curses and hissing at the chilly air that she felt on her bare skin, searching for all her clothes, deposited haphazardly all over the floor.

Regina woke up confused, hearing the cacophony of expletives from behind her; she squinted at the light, and turned to find a gorgeously toned back and messy blonde hair in front of her. With sleep in her voice, she asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm late, I'm so late," the blonde responded, somewhat panicked, pulling her breeches up. "I'm really sorry."

Narrowing her eyes further, Regina now recognized the somewhat alarmed voice, she was sure of it, but she wasn't awake enough to figure out whose it was.

Emma meanwhile was searching for her jacket. She would just have to  carry it, she wasn't looking to be fully dressed, just appropriately enough to get from this room to the Queen's chambers without drawing attention to herself. Once she had located the suit jacket, it was time to look for her socks and boots.

Finding one sock, Emma quickly bounced on one leg, struggling to get it on.

And then Regina realized who it was. "Emma," she breathed, trying to draw her attention, sitting up on the bed. She didn't know how she didn't recognize the voice before, but the she remembered that, apart from skewing the mask wearer's vision, it also distorted voices ever so slightly. It was a side-effect of the spell she cast, but she never had bothered to rectify it, seeing as it helped to hide identities even better.

"I'm sorry, I really am," Emma once more repeated, now trying to put on the other sock. In her hurry and slight worry, she didn't even register that she was called by her name.

Regina got up, and made her way closer to the panicking blonde, raising a hand to a toned shoulder.

Emma whipped around and then froze. "I-"

But the rest of her words died on her lips when she made eye contact with the brunette and realized who exactly she was looking at. "Reg-"

Once again, her words were cut off, but this time, it was from a searing kiss from Regina, who moved to cup her cheeks and bring them closer together. When air became a necessity, they parted, but not too far that Regina couldn't deposit more pecks.

"But-" Emma began saying. She could not stop smiling at all the small kisses she was getting, but she had to ask something.

Regina backed away so she could look Emma in the eyes. "Yes?"

Words failed Emma right then. "You're here," she blandly stated.

"Indeed," Regina nodded. She wanted to encourage Emma, but at the same time not force her, potentially making her close off.

"I shouldn't be here, I should leave," Emma blurted, shaking her head, eyes wide, backing a few paces.

Dropping her hands from Emma's face, Regina's uncertainly reared its ugly head in. "You regret this."

Emma's eyes widened even further, and her head shook more vehemently. "What? No! I thought  _you_  might be the one regretting."

"Why would I regret this?"

"I'm your handmaiden!" Emma spluttered, as if this was obvious. "You're the Queen and I'm just-"

For the third time this morning, Emma found herself unable to finish her sentence, once again by lips covering her own.

"You are so much more than just my handmaiden Emma," Regina murmured as they broke apart once more. "Getting to know you these past few weeks has been wonderful, and last night was just magical."

Emma beamed, agreeing. "It was. I loved last night, and spending time with you is always the highlight of my day. I would wish for nothing more than to perhaps see where it would go..."

Regina could tell there was a condition to Emma's wish, and she voiced it. "But?"

"But I would never think that someone of my station would be adequate to court you, my Queen," Emma responded, tacking on the title to cement just how little she thought her chances with the monarch were, eyes trailing down to look anywhere but the enticing brown eyes that has so captivated her.

"Oh Emma," Regina sighed, hooking her finger underneath Emma's chin, gently nudging her head up to place the softest kiss she could muster upon the beautiful blonde's lips. Then she raised her free hand to bring her wrist to Emma's eye level. "Besides, right now we are equals."

Emma's lips quivered in a small smile at seeing the fake bracers covering Regina's wrists, chuckling before she said, "I would never consider myself to be your equal Regina."

"Nonsense, you could very much be my equal, and in fact, we can discuss this at length, but perhaps we should first have breakfast? You seem a bit famished." Regina observed, glancing at the clock. She had heard the faint sounds of Emma's stomach growling in hunger. They had all eaten dinner early due to the ball, and by now they were both a bit famished.

"We can talk, I don't mind," Emma shrugged it off.

Regina shook her head. "We have no hurry, so why rush? We can go back to my chambers and speak comfortably there."

She had a point. "Sure, I'll go fetch breakfast," Emma said. She was glad for the small reprieve she would get. Her mind was still reeling.

"Perfect," Regina smiled fondly, giving her a kiss, "We will talk more when you return. I want to leave this clear first, Emma: I'm smitten with you, and I won't allow something as petty as our individual statuses stopping us from seeing where this might go. I want to see this through, and I hope you do as well."

Emma surged forward to claim Regina's lips, bringing her hands to the queen's cheeks. She parted and whispered against Regina's lips, "I do, I want this so much."

Regina smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Emma's waist. "Good."

Depositing a few more kisses, she got Regina practically giggling. "Sorry, your lips are so addicting."

But Regina didn't mind at all. In fact, she was quite happy to stay in their little bubble just a little bit longer. "Don't apologize. In fact, you are free to kiss me whenever you feel like it."

* * *

After they finally managed to disentangle themselves, Emma managed to finish dressing herself before she made her way to the kitchens. She was sure there was an extra spring in her step, and she hoped Red wouldn't notice and tease her relentlessly for it. She and Regina hadn't discussed the details of their relationship, but Emma assumed that she should keep this new development to herself, especially considering the looming topic that was the Council trying to marry Regina off - which was something they probably would talk about later.

Once she entered the kitchen, she did a double-take at seeing the completely empty place. The only one who was toiling away was Granny.

"Wow, where is everyone?" Emma asked, going to stand by the order table. Her voice echoed ever so slightly in the nearly empty room, and it was a bit jarring to hear it.

"Where do you think?" Granny huffed, grabbing a tray and loading up two plates with the day's breakfast for them.

"You didn't participate?"

"Me? Ha!" the old woman snorted in amusement. "I'm much too old for these events, but I do think it's a nice effort."

Just then, the doors burst open and Red swaggered in, still clad in her dress from last night, a deep burgundy number that left nothing to the imagination. "Morning Granny, Emma."

Emma could barely contain her amusement. "I'm guessing you had a good night?"

"Oh yeah, the best," Red boasted, satisfied smirk in place.

Before they could continue, the doors once more banged open, and a blur wearing a bright lime green dress bolted in, not stopping, making her way down to the bedrooms.

"Was that Tiana?" Emma squinted.

"I think so, wonder why she's in such a hurry," Red commented. "But anyway, how was your first Autumnal Equinox?"

Emma gulped, more because Red was wagging her eyebrows very suggestively, rather than the question itself. "Good!" she squeaked, before she cleared her throat and tried again. "Yeah, good, it was fun."

Red was looking at her as if encouraging her. When Emma didn't come forth with more info, she raised her hand expectantly. "And?!"

"And what?"

"Are you going to make me pry it out of you? Did you get it on with anyone?"

"Oh! Well-" Emma was thankfully saved from having to make up a story by Tiana coming back, but her reprieve was short lived. "We were robbed!"

"What?" All three other women asked.

Tiana nodded. "Yeah, I just went to check my belongings, all my money's gone! Naveen's money is missing too!"

Red rushed to her room, leaving Emma and Granny standing there, the latter holding the prepared tray.

"That's bizarre. I'm sure I would've heard something," Granny muttered. "Then again, my room's on another part of the castle."

Emma surmised that her seniority as a castle staff brought along a lot of perks for the cook.

Returning, Red looked sullen. "My money's gone too."

Taking the tray in her hands, Emma started to make her way out. "I'll go check my stuff. Meanwhile check with everyone else, and maybe try to talk to Sir Glass. If there's a thief in here, someone must've seen or know something."

Red snorted. "You do know Glass doesn't care, right?"

She figured as much. But they should at least go through the proper channels to exhaust all their options. "Worth a try at least."

* * *

Making her way back to the Queen's chambers, Emma tried not to panic. A worker's coin purse was one of their most valued possessions, for it contained the ticket to their eventual freedom for those who wanted it, and was their source when they needed to buy essentials.

But surely no one would break into the Queen's chambers for her coin purse, right?

When she entered the room, she saw Regina sitting in the settee. She smiled brightly at the blonde, putting down the book she had been reading. "I was thinking-"

"In a minute," Emma blurted, setting the tray down and heading to her room. She knew that what she had done was terribly against protocol, but Emma just had to check. Scrambling into her room, she searched for her coin purse, carefully hidden in a box underneath her bed. Making contact with it, she picked it up, and her heart sunk. It was too light.

Still, she opened it, and let out a huff when she saw the lock had been smashed into, and the cloth bag holding her coins was gone. She cursed.

"Emma? What's wrong?" A voice asked from the doorway.

Emma whipped around to face a concerned Regina. She wasn't supposed to complain to superiors. "Nothing."

Regina didn't look too convinced. "You dumped the tray none-too-gently and rushed into your room like a starved woman searching for food, only to find what you were looking for and curse. Do you really expect me to believe that this was nothing?"

It didn't sound convincing at all, hearing it from Regina's perspective. Seeing the open worry in brown eyes, Emma avowed that she hadn't been entirely honest. "It seems that last night, someone decided to take advantage of the empty castle and lax security and rob everyone," she explained, holding her empty box out.

Furrowed her eyebrows, Regina asked, "What was in it?"

"My coin purse."

Regina's eyes widened. "How much was in it?"

Since Emma didn't actually remember off the top of her head, she searched her bedside drawer for the small pocket-sized notebook where she kept count. All workers had something similar, even just etched on a piece of wood, as she had seen one time. It was easier than committing to memory. "4,000 gold coins."

She knew it wasn't a lot, but it was still money she owned, and she was devastated at having lost it all.

"I'm not the only one, others apparently lost their money as well," Emma glumly added.

Regina thought about it for a moment then said, "Do you have any leads as to who took it or why?"

"None. I left soon after I find out, but I think it must've been a castle-wide thing."

"Well, when you go back to deposit the tray, see if there were any new developments, and let me know about them. I may have a plan of action, but we can figure that out later. For now, we should eat."

Emma couldn't help but smile. Despite the theft, there was one good thing she gained, and she made her way forward to give Regina a quick kiss. They were both still dressed in last night's clothes, but everything felt different.

They shared a few more kisses, and then they walked back out to the main room, where Emma made a beeline to the deposited tray at their table, but Regina was heading to her room. Emma turned to her and frowned. "Er, Regina? Aren't we going to eat?"

Regina turned around, eyes wide and confused. "Yes? Aren't you coming?"

It was then that Emma realized what Regina was implying. That they eat breakfast together in Regina's room. In bed.

Somehow, Emma managed to stay composed enough to carry the tray into the room, where Regina was standing, looking at the bed with an adorable combination of a pout and a frown.

"Is something the matter?" Emma asked.

"I'm just noticing that eating breakfast with this on won't be comfortable at all. I will go change, and if you wish to do the same, we can eat breakfast and talk in peace," Regina explained.

Emma could see the reasoning behind that, but she was thinking logically regarding the tray she held in her hands. "What about the food? Won't it get cold?"

It was a good point, and she soon came up with a solution; Regina walked over to her fireplace, lighting up a fire magically, and brought a small side table closer. "Put the food on the table, and it'll stay warm. It'll also help to warm the room as well."

With a nod, Emma did as she was told, and then marched back to her room to change into her day clothes, something infinitely more comfortable than the suit she had been using, despite how handsome it made her look. As she put her socks on, she realized with a pang that she had been thinking of buying new clothes, but with her money gone, she'd be stuck with the holes in her clothes for a while.

She padded back to Regina's room, grinning when she saw that the other woman was already in bed, sitting against plush pillows, tray in the middle of the bed in front of her. Regina patted the other side of the bed, and Emma didn't waste another second before she went around to sit on the bed, pulling the covers over her lap, and grabbing the tray. She brought it closer and handed one plate to Regina, before serving herself.

As they dug in, Regina opened her mouth to speak, but then she closed her mouth and let out a puff of air in amusement. "I'm not too sure how to even begin tackling this. I can't say I've ever had a similar experience."

Emma nodded, chewing. She never had something like this happen to her either.

"Well, what I first do want to say is what I told you earlier. I want this Emma, and I don't want you to think that you are some dirty secret, but at the same time, right now the Council is bearing down on me, and I can't very well show up now with you. They're old men set in their ways, it'll take me a few months to shake them off."

"Oh of course. I sort of figured it'd be something like that," Emma commented.

"You figured correctly; I'm not saying we should delay our relationship. But for now, we should keep our relationship between ourselves, if you're okay with that?" Regina didn't want Emma to think that she was hiding her away because of shame or anything preposterous like that. If she could, she would announce it to the world, but those dastardly old crones were impossible to deal with, and she had been putting up with them for too long. She had to prepare herself for the repercussions of disassociating herself with the Council, which would take time.

But Emma didn't mind at all. She understood that this wasn't going to be a simple walk in the garden, and she had to be prepared for it. So she leaned in and deposited a small kiss on Regina's cheek. "I'm more than okay with it."

Regina turned her head and moved to meet Emma's retreating lips, kissing her softly but surely.

Once they broke apart, Regina added, "While we're in my chambers, I want you to think of us as equals. Treat me as you would any lover you've had, do not think of me as your queen."

Emma was unsure of how to respond to that. She could understand the logic, she supposed. "Very well, I shall try, but it might take me a while to get used to it...force of habit and all."

Grinning, Regina nodded. "Understandable. Now, let's finish up our breakfast and then you can go and see what's the news with these thefts."

* * *

Heading once more to the kitchens, Emma was feeling on top of the world. She was actually getting a chance to have a relationship with her crush, who was coincidentally the woman that had enamoured her so much last night. Now all she had to do was figure out this pesky business with the thefts.

Walking inside, she saw that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good news. It was absolute chaos. Quite a different scene from when she came in to fetch breakfast less than an hour ago. People were everywhere, clamouring to be heard, and Emma just weaved through the throngs of people to deposit the tray, before trying to find Red. She would be the most informed, and would provide her with what she wanted to know.

It wasn't too hard to locate the tall woman, and Emma once more went into the fray, coming up to her friend, tapping her on the arm. When Red turned to her, a greeting on her lips, Emma interjected, "Any news?"

Red scrunched her nose and shook her head. "Not good ones. Seems like everyone that went to the party was robbed, and Glass just told us to keep better watch over our possessions, so everyone's getting antsy."

Emma nodded solemnly. She left Red and made her way back to the Queen's chambers, relaying the message, excluding the part about what the Chamberlain said. It wouldn't do to put him down as an antagonist just because she and the rest of the castle didn't like him.

With a hum, Regina asked, "Very well. I know that this is the weekend, and technically your time off, but would you be willing to help me with something?"

"Of course." Emma couldn't think of anything else more important.

Regina seemed happy with Emma's answer. "Wonderful. Go back down to the kitchens, and round everyone up; tell them to meet in the Throne Room, and to come with a record of how much they're missing."

Although Emma had no idea what Regina was planning, she agreed, but before she could turn to leave, Regina called her once more.

"Hmm?" Emma's hum turned into a moan as Regina kissed her once again.

"You've got quite the addicting lips yourself, my dear," Regina murmured. Taking a step back, Regina held her palm out. "And, by the way..."

A brown cloth bag appeared in her palm with a puff of purple smoke. Emma eyed the weighty object in Regina's hand wearily, confused. "What is this for?"

"The money that was robbed from you. I'm recompensing," she explained, holding the bag out for her to take.

Emma blinked. "What?"

Letting out a small sigh, Regina sought to elaborate. "You had your money stolen, and my coffers can more than repay all those who have been robbed. But since I already know how much was stolen from you, I'm giving it to you now."

She could hardly believe what Regina was doing. "Are you sure?"

"Would I be doing it if I wasn't? Please take it Emma. I won't stand knowing that my workers were robbed on the one night that was meant to be for them. It's my responsibility. Now, please don't mention this to the workers as you fetch them. I wouldn't want anyone to get greedy and up their losses to swindle from me, as I'm sure more than one would attempt."

Emma understood Regina's apprehension. it wasn't too far-fetched to believe such a thing might happen. So with a parting kiss, she deposited her replenished coin purse back in its hiding spot, before going to deliver the Queen's message to the masses.

* * *

Red helped to spread the message, and within the hour, everyone was standing quietly in the Throne Room, shuffling awkwardly.

Emma was behind the door near the dais, standing with Regina. It was a small ante room, completely bare, and Emma felt out of place.

Regina came up to give her a kiss on the corner of her lips. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just wondering if maybe I should be down there with everyone else..."

"I want you here beside me. You informed me about this injustice, and I want us to work together, handing out the money, if you're comfortable with it?" Regina explained. She ended with a question because, as much as she wanted Emma beside her, helping her and becoming a bigger part of her life in all the little ways, she also didn't want to force her lover to take part in something that she might uncomfortable with.

But she needn't have worried, for Emma just nodded and smiled. "It would be my honour. Let's go."

So together they walked out - Emma walking a few paces behind Regina - and they made their way to the throne. When the door had opened, everyone in the room went to kneel. Emma fidgeted at seeing them, feeling that she should be doing the same. But she managed to keep her composure. As the Queen sat down, she said, "Please everyone, stand. Now, it has come to my attention that you were all robbed last night."

As Emma stood to the side and a little ways behind the throne, she looked at everyone, their eyes transfixed on the Queen. Most of them didn't move their heads to confirm or deny what Regina had said, and she knew why. They had been trained to do so. They weren't allowed to complain to those who were better off, less so to the monarch.

The few who nodded were people that Emma was certain that had been in the castle for a very long time, and hadn't been conditioned otherwise.

"If you would all make a line and provide some proof of how much you had before the robbery, I will begin recompensing you with what you have lost," Regina continued. Murmurs of confusion began to rise, and Regina sought to speak above the din. "Everyone, please settle down. This is not a trick, nor is this is a loan. You are not required to return it after a period of time. Does anyone have any questions?"

One brave soul piped up, "Your Majesty, what happens should the money be found?"

"We'll see about that when it happens," was all she said. "Now, form a line please. Do not worry, there is more than enough for everyone, so there's no need to rush or elbow people."

As Emma helped to hand out the money, she couldn't help but smile. She was helping to make a difference, and she could see the relief in everyone's eyes as she handed the money that they had thought they had lost forever.

She wanted to make sure their smiles stayed that way for as long as she could.

* * *

"Jones! Where the hell is everyone?" Sidney growled, stalking up to the taller man.

"Haven't the foggiest, sir." He too had noticed the lack of staff around the castle as he had been doing his rounds. "You don't think they all took a day off?"

Sidney flared his nostrils. "Nonsense. Something is happening, and I want to know what and why. This better have nothing to do with that bogus theft."

"Sir?"

"You haven't heard? It's probably a new scheme of theirs. They're all claiming to have had their money stolen last night during the ball, and are claiming they should be recompensed for their losses, can you believe that drivel."

"Absolute bollocks." Jones nodded his head to a point behind Sidney. "Here's a servant coming up now, maybe she knows."

Together, they stopped a meek and pregnant woman named Ella - not that they knew or cared - who was holding a hefty bag in her hands.

"Where did you come from?" Sidney asked.

"And what's in the bag?" Jones added, pointing to the bulky object.

Ella, scared of getting in trouble, kept her eyes on the ground as she said, "The Throne Room, sirs. The Queen has been generous enough to return to us all we had been robbed of."

Sidney frowned. What nonsense was this? "She found the money that had been stolen?"

"No, sir. I believe she is paying us from her own coffers."

Both men were so shocked, they let the woman go without reprimanding her.

"Sir, what's going on?" Jones asked, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Why would her Majesty be doing such a thing?"

"I don't know, but believe me, I intend to find out. Surely someone told the Queen, and convinced her of this caper. I intend to find out just who, and punish them severely for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's where I leave you, until I update again!
> 
> We're seeing Regina's charitable side, and meanwhile, Sidney is gearing up his hatred and sharpening his swords.
> 
> And who could have possibly stolen all that money? Hmm...
> 
> While you all ponder that, I'll be updating In Sickness and in Health, followed by Her Stable Girl!


	6. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I know, I know, it's been forever and a half [basically almost a year], and I truly do apologize for all the time it took. But anywho, I am back now, and I am hoping to get this show on the road and update much more frequently than I have recently.
> 
> For those that would like a quick refresher, Emma and Regina attended the masquerade ball known as the Autumnal Equinox, had a wonderful night of debauchery, and are now deeply enamoured and happy that they get to have a relationship with the woman they like, despite their social standing, and that a council of old dudes want to marry Regina off. The latter is the reason their relationship is a secret for now.
> 
> Meanwhile, someone has decided to rob the servants, and Regina is charitably recompensing all the workers. Sidney meanwhile has already made a vow to catch whoever it was that informed Regina of the theft.
> 
> And that is the basic gist of things till now. Now let's continue!
> 
> Mild warning for Jones being...well, Jones, as well as some violence [nothing the show hasn't shown really].
> 
> As always, please enjoy!

When they finished handing out the money, Regina and Emma retreated to their chambers, where they relaxed on the settee by the fireplace and began to trade small kisses and just relish getting to be near the other, whispering sweet nothings to one another.

After a good half-hour relaxing, Regina mournfully told Emma that she had to take care of castle business. "Why don't you go and enjoy your day out? I'm certain you'd rather be out there than cooped up in here doing nothing all morning."

"Quite true. Shall we meet for lunch?"

"That sounds wonderful," Regina agreed, and they parted ways with a few more kisses, slow and languid ones this time.

Emma sighed as she now walked down the hallway. Things were looking up, and she felt like she could take on anything in the world.

Turning left, she made her way to the kitchens where she hopefully would find Red. Although she would have loved to spend the day with Regina, she knew that her lover had a long and boring day ahead, getting all her papers ready for the week. No matter how much she fancied Regina, Emma truly did not fancy spending the day looking at treaties and agreements.

But Emma was planning on joining Regina later, when the latter would go to have some words with Constable Graham regarding what the two guards had said last night. She wouldn't miss that for the world.

"Emma! Just the woman I wanted to see!" Before Emma could even comprehend what was happening, Red's arm wrapped around her shoulder and turned her right around so they were now walking together in the direction Emma had come from.

"Hey Red, I was just coming to see you," Emma commented, wondering what the tight grip on her shoulder was due to.

"Oh really? Good. I was ready to hunt you down for answers." Red just looked straight ahead as they kept walking, now heading out to the gardens.

"Answers?" Emma queried, baffled as to what Red could want to know. Did she find out about her and Regina?

"Yep. The money the Queen gave us. What gives?"

"What gives?" Emma repeated.

They stopped and Red let go of her shoulder in order to swivel around and face Emma. "Are you going to keep repeating the last few words I say?"

Emma adopted a helpless expression. "I don't know, I'm kind of clueless on what you're trying to infer. The Queen gave us money, what does that have to do with me?"

"You were the one that told me that the Queen wanted us to go to the Throne Room, and you were beside her handing out the money. So again, what gives?"

"I'm her handmaiden," Emma simply responded. "I'm supposed to be by her side. She asked me to help her with this, and I couldn't say no."

Red squinted, as if trying to gauge the veracity of Emma's words just by looking at her. "But she still had to find out _somehow_. Did you tell her?"

"I- well it's not a crime," Emma attempted to defend herself by not outright confirming nor denying whether she had done it.

Letting out a snort of laughter, Red nodded. "Relax, I'm not here to reprimand you. If it were up to me, I'd host a feast in your honour to thank you. But the reality of it is that this act didn't win you any points in favour with Glass or Jones. Word around the castle is that Glass is trying to find the person who told the Queen, and Jones is going around demanding that everyone return their money."

"What?" Emma yelped, before lowering her voice when people started to look. "They can't do that. The Queen gave that money to us because she wanted to."

Red shrugged. "They don't see it that way. He's gotten all the maids to return their money, and now he was at the library."

"'Now'? And what were _you_ doing at the library? I didn't take you to be a big reader," Emma asked, curious.

When Red merely stuttered and looked away, Emma began to understand.

"Does your date from last night work in the library?" Emma now sported a cheshire cat grin.

"Yes," Red mumbled, her face now fitting her name. "I'll tell you all about her later, but since you're the one that told the Queen about our money being stolen, you need to tell them about Jones and Glass."

Emma bit her lip. On one hand, what Red said made complete sense, but at the same time, she didn't want to seem like she was taking advantage of her and Regina's newly minted relationship by complaining about every single nuisance that happened.

"Emma? Why aren't you agreeing with me?" Red asked after a few moments of silence.

"Because the Queen asked to not be disturbed until lunch, she had papers to work on." It was partially a lie, and Emma felt horrible about it, but she needed time to think, to strategize.

However, Red saw through her lie and she stiffened as she growled, "Bullshit. You just know that your money's safe in your cushy little room so you don't have to worry about your money being taken away like ours huh?"

"What?!" Emma spluttered, looking indignant. "Are you jesting? I was robbed too!"

"You were?" Ruby's angry facade chipped as her brows raised. "But I didn't see-"

"Me getting my money? That's because the Queen gave it to me when we were in her chambers. I have just as much to lose by not telling her what is going on, but at the same time I can't go around every two hours complaining that our money's being stolen and reclaimed. I don't want to get fired." Emma figured that she could tell part of the truth. She certainly would run a risk of losing her job by complaining so much.

It was an understandable notion, and Red nodded, backing off on her earlier claim, shoulders relaxing. Then she frowned. "Wait, did you sleep with her?"

"What? Are you mad? No!" The suddenness of the question at least helped to mask Emma's panic at the question, making it seem like she truly was surprised.

Red shrugged. "The way you are worried about complaining so much makes it sound like your relationship to the Queen changed. But maybe I'm just sleep-deprived and seeing things. Back to the matter at hand, why did you lie?"

"I didn't want to seem like I was being selfish by choosing my job," Emma said.

Red gave an understanding nod, and said, "Fair enough. Sorry for the pressure, I'm just cranky since I don't want to lose my money twice in one day."

Emma groaned in agreement. "This is terrible. It's one thing to get our money stolen, but to get our new money reclaimed? Can't we ever catch a break?"

"In this castle? Not likely." Red slowly added, "So, are you going to ask her?"

Emma nodded. "It's the right thing to do. I just hope the Queen doesn't send me back to Silas."

Red gave her an encouraging hug and they went their separate ways. As Emma approached Regina's room, her heart sank as she saw Jones at the door. "Ah lass, what are you doing here?"

Wildly trying to think up of something, Emma froze. "Uhm, lunch!"

Jones frowned. "It's a bit early isn't it?"

"Yes but I've been feeling pressure on my bracer..." Emma started. She really had no plan, and it was obvious. Not to mention she was probably breaking about a dozen rules with all her fumbling and lack of etiquette.

"Impossible. She's in a meeting with Sir Glass."

"Maybe she wants me to get lunch for the both of them?" Emma tried.

Jones hummed, swaggering up to Emma. "How about you just get lunch for me and then afterwards I'll think about letting you interrupting their meeting for lunch?"

Emma wanted to say no, but as her superior, she could do nothing more than just let out a near-silent sigh and thump her fist over her heart and head to the kitchen.

So much for that.

* * *

"And?" Red was quick to ask when Emma came in through the door.

"No go. Jones was at the door and I'm basically now fetching lunch for him." Emma groaned and splayed her hands on the table between them. "Now what?"

Red went to grab a tray and got someone to prepare a lunch. "Now you go and deliver that to him. If he's eating, he's not getting people's money."

"Fair enough," Emma agreed, it was a small price to pay. After a few minutes, she was heading back to the Queen's chambers now carrying a tray filled with food.

Jones was still standing by the door, and Emma just wanted to drop it off and get out of there. "Where should I put this for you sir?"

Jones scoffed and let out a condescending laugh. "Put? I'm not eating this sitting down like some common peasant. You are going to hold it for me while I eat. You lose your balance or cause me to fumble and I will make you pay, is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Planting her feet well, Emma held the tray higher and gripped the handles tightly so the tray wouldn't slip. She felt ridiculed, and was just glad that there was no one passing by.

"Excellent. I love a meal with a view." The smarmy remark and tone made Emma desperately wish she had had the foresight to button the front of her shirt a little bit higher.

Jones' gaze made her shiver a bit and she desperately tried to keep it from reaching her hands.

But it did, and Jones remarked, "Steady there. I miss and it'll be your fingers that will pay the price, is that clear, wench?"

"Yes sir," was all she could say. The derogatory terms were really grating at her nerves, and she prayed he wasn't a slow eater.

Jones raised the silver cover from the plate and looked around. "Where the bloody hell am I supposed to put this?"

Emma stayed silent and just continued looking down.

"Ah, perfect." Before she knew what had happened, the metal cover was placed over her head, covering her eyes, and coating her hair with some kind of sauce. Perfect. Now she was truly being humiliated. "I'm sure you can do without your sight yes? Excellent."

Jones spent most of the meal talking nonsense, such as wishing the girls would smile more and not simper so much. "I mean, a bloke's gotta get his excitement somewhere."

Emma just prayed to the gods that this would end soon.

A small yet short-lived reprieve came a while later when the door opened and then closed again.

It was Glass. "Jones, what are you doing?"

"Eating lunch sir. This wench here wanted to get into the Queen's rooms to serve her lunch but as you were in a meeting with her, I had her bring lunch to me instead."

"A sensible choice," Sidney commented. "Creative way to solve problems here."

"Thank you sir. And what did the Queen say?" Jones asked. Sidney clearly made a visual remark, and Jones added, "Don't worry about her sir. She's clearly a simpering fool and she won't tattle, will you lass?"

Knowing she was the only woman for them to be referring to, Emma said, "Yes sir."

"Yes you will tattle or won't you?" Glass asked, slapping her ass for good measure.

Oh how Emma wanted to clobber the two men over the head with the tray she was holding, and then jam the silver cover over Jones' head. But she had to remember that despite her secret relationship to the Queen, she still had a job that she had no security over, so she demurely clarified, "I won't tattle."

She began to feel her bracer gently warm and squeeze her wrist. "Sirs, the Queen is calling for me."

"And you have time until I finish eating. We're right in front of her chambers," Jones countered, going back to eating. "So, the Queen?"

"Yes well, she claims that she heard through the grapevine this morning as she was coming back to her room - apparently she finally got some - and decided to be charitable. Isn't it unbelievable?" Glass explained, indignant.

"Yes indeed. Someone spilled the beans on her...wouldn't happen to be you lass, would it?" Jones asked, lifting the cover a bit so he could look Emma in the eye.

Emma blinked a bit as her eyes adjusted to the light, and she looked between the two men. "No, I didn't, sirs," she convincingly stated, staring at both of them in the eye in turn.

"She could very well be lying." Glass scoffed. He then addressed her by asking, "How do we know you are not lying?"

That one was easy, so Emma didn't miss a second before she said, "I don't want to lose my position here. And complaining to superiors, especially to someone like the Queen, would be frowned upon."

Seeming satisfied, Jones let the cover fall back on top of her head. Great. The pressure on her wrist increased and Emma bit her lip but she could say nothing for they would not listen.

"That takes care of that," Jones said satisfactorily.

"And the money? Were you able to recover all of it?" Glass asked.

"Not a chance. Mostly everyone is out today for their day off, and the few people I managed to accost from the maids' corner and the book worms were missing a good chunk of money from their coffers. I had them show me their books to verify they weren't swindling me, and lo and behold! A few thousand gold coins were missing from quite a few of their purses. Methinks they're holding out, we're going to have to get at them more forcefully."

Glass snorted derisively. "Typical. They're all there when the Queen is giving them money, but it's barely noon and they're already spending it? They'll have to return every last coin, even if they don't get paid for the next few years in order to make up for the missing money. Though for now yes, I agree, we'll have to take another approach to recover the money that we can. These servants have gotten way too comfy here."

Emma felt the pressure on her wrist diminish, and she wondered whether this meant that Regina had given up on calling for her, or if she was in even bigger trouble than before.

"Does that mean I should drop the investigation on the thief sir?" Jones asked meanwhile.

"Yes yes, there's no use in searching for that bastard now. He got away with it and is much richer. If you find it, good for you, and if not, I won't lose much sleep over this."

The doors suddenly slammed open and Emma heard a livid Regina demand, "What the hell is going on here? Is this why my handmaiden has been unresponsive to my demands? What the hell are you using her for?" The cover was lifted from her head and Emma could just see the tiniest frown of worry from Regina before she rounded on the two men, furious. "This is my _handmaiden_ , not a _table,_ Jones! Don't you two have better things to do than to gossip like little girls and have lunch outside my door?"

For a brief second, Emma thought that maybe Regina had heard everything, and that the two idiots would have incriminated themselves, but then Regina demanded, "What were you two even talking about that was so urgent? Did you find the thief?"

"No, your Majesty," Glass answered evenly. "We were actually thinking of dropping it. Jones hasn't found anything thus far-"

"Yes I can see that, he's clearly too busy using my handmaiden as a piece of furniture to be actually searching." Regina stepped up quite close to them and uttered, "I warn you both, either you find me that thief, or you'll be on hot coals and out of a job before either you can even beg for forgiveness, is that clear?"

"Quite, your Majesty," Jones and Glass acquiesced, fist over their respective hearts.

"Good. And I better not catch you mistreating my workers as you did my handmaiden ever again Jones. If I do, you will regret it and find yourself suffering a fate worse than your worst nightmare. Am I clear on that point as well?"

Jones once again agreed, and finally, Regina had him grab the tray from Emma and leave them be. It was then that Emma could see the infamous Evil Queen from lore, and she wondered if any of that anger was also directed at her.

Once they were inside Regina's chambers, Emma didn't want to take the chance that Regina would rage against her, and she began trying to apologize. "I'm so sorry, I-"

"Why are you apologizing?" Regina interjected, concern in her voice.

Surprised by the question - it seemed like she'd been caught off-guard quite often today - Emma stuttered a bit before mumbling, "Because I wasn't here on time."

"They were holding you in that ridiculous position, it's no fault of yours as far as I'm concerned," Regina dismissed it. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Nothing?...My Queen." Emma tacked on the title at the end just in case she was pushing it.

Regina shook her head. "Not a thing. And I told you Emma, we are equals here."

"So you said, but I don't want to seem like I'm taking advantage of you to get away with things that would otherwise be my fault."

"Impossible. And besides, I've known you for almost a month, you haven't given indication that you'd be using me or our relationship to advance your own social status, so again I repeat, this was not your fault."

Emma was at a loss. She was certain she would be in trouble for this. But before she could say anything more, she found herself silenced by Regina's wonderful lips on hers. Once they parted, Regina murmured, "Don't overthink it. Now, I'll get Granny to send someone with our actual food, and meanwhile you can draw a bath in my room and clean yourself, then we can eat and talk, if you wish?"

Emma was too speechless and she just nodded. The gunk in her hair was really making her head feel weird so she welcomed the chance to wash it off. She was led to Regina's bath, where the latter filled the tub up with water. "Go wash, I'll be waiting at our table."

After the bath, Emma felt much happier. She was truly needing it, and made sure to thank Regina for it as she headed to the table already laden with their lunch.

Regina smiled. "It's the least I could do. You should be treated with more respect than having a food cover placed over your head like you're a mere object."

Emma said nothing, for what could she say? That she'd had worse? That this was actually quite mild? The fear of having any of that happen again was too great, so Emma just smiled right back and said, "Well, I appreciate it. Now, shall we eat?"

As they sat down, Regina got to the matter at hand. "I feel helpless. I know that Sidney and Killian are doing deplorable things to all my workers, but I have no proof. Today is the first time I was able to witness this kind of injustice being done. Can you help me?"

Emma bit her lip. "I...I'm not sure."

"Why not?" Regina queried as they began to eat.

And so Emma began to explain that it'd been instilled very early in all servants' training to not complain. If an injustice was done to them, they had to bear it and move on. Complaining to their superiors was seen as a weakness, for what was the superior meant to do? Take pity on the servants? Change everything on the whim of the help? It just wasn't the way things were done.

"Then help me rectify that," Regina encouraged as she finished her lunch.

Emma finished eating and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "I want to, believe me, I just don't want to say or do the wrong thing."

"And you won't. I will listen, and we can figure out what to do. I promise you won't get into any trouble for the information you deliver to me. I get the feeling that things have gotten very out of hand, and that my Chamberlain and Usher are at the center of this. It is not the castle staff I want in charge if that's the case. Will you help?"

When Emma didn't answer right away, Regina understood. She glanced at their empty plates. "How about I give you some time to think this over? You can drop off our plates and afterwards we can talk, how does that sound?"

"Perfect," Emma gave Regina a relieved smile. She did need time to think. It wasn't so easy to beat the habit, and her relationship with the Queen was quite new, despite Regina's assurances otherwise. What if their relationship didn't work out and Emma had to deal with the fallout of what her words caused?

Emma let her feet carry her to the kitchens as she weighed her options.

"Let go of me!"

Her reverie broke at the sharp command a few halls down. Gripping her tray tightly, she hurried to the source, and found Jones accosting Aurora. He had a tight grip on her right forearm with his left hand, and his right hand was holding a sword near her throat.

Emma's survival instincts kicked in. No longer was she worried about staying out of trouble. She had to help Aurora somehow, but with that sword so near her, Emma had to play it safe. Glancing at the tray in her hands, she saw the pitcher of lemonade and got an idea. Keeping an eye on the struggle, she set her tray down on a nearby side table and grabbed the pitcher as well as a silver cover. Time for a taste of his own medicine.

"Back off!" Emma called out as she rushed to where the struggling duo stood. Jones barely had time to react when Emma threw the lemonade onto his face, hitting him right in the eyes.

"ARGH! You bloody wench!" Jones hissed. Alas, he still didn't let go of Aurora or the sword, he merely maneuvered the sword so he could use the base of his right palm to rub at his stinging eyes.

Aurora continued to struggle against his grip and Emma put down the pitcher on the ground and rushed up to slam the cover on top of Jones' head with all the force she could muster. With a resounding thunk, the cover made contact with his head.

"Fucking hell!" Jones exclaimed, now swinging wildly from side to side with his sword.

Aurora and Emma ducked under his swinging movements. "He won't let go!" Aurora cried, trying to claw her arm free.

Joining Aurora's free hand, they tried to pry Jones' fingers off the vice grip.

"Oh no you don't!" Jones growled, and in a wild movement, he tried to slash at the girls' fingers.

However, due to his lack of vision, he missed the mark entirely, and with a blood-curdling screech, he was forced to let go, having severed his hand.

Aurora and Emma stumbled back as they saw Jones sink to his knees and cradle his bloodied left arm, sobbing.

Turning to Aurora, Emma asked, "Are you okay?"

With a shaky nod, Aurora nodded, staring at the floor and Jones' hand. Emma attempted to help Aurora up so she wouldn't have to see it.

Emma groaned as she heard many footsteps rushing towards them.

"What in the world happened!?" Glass had arrived first, eyes wild and livid as he surveyed the sickening scene. He set his sights on Aurora and Emma and his face contorted into a deep scowl. "You..."

However, before he could continue, Regina's booming voice broke through the din of the gathered workers that were arriving and surveying the scene. "What is the meaning of all this screaming?"

The crowd broke through to let their Queen pass, the shock too much for everyone to remember to bow. Regina quickly surveyed the scene and then sought out some nearby guards. "Get everyone out of this area and block it off. No one is to come here."

Glass had lifted the metal cover from Jones' head and the latter was openly crying now. He looked pitiful really, on his knees, holding his bloody stump of an arm with an equally bloody sword lying at his feet. He could barely manage words, but the Chamberlain decided to do it for him. "Your Majesty, I must demand that these two servants be punished at once! Look at what they have done!"

"Enough!" Regina exclaimed, silencing Glass and making Emma - who had been ready to protest her and Aurora's innocence, protocol be damned - close her mouth. "I don't want to hear a word from anyone. Sir Glass, escort Sir Jones back to his room and fetch a healer to take a look at his injury."

Glass did as he was told, wisely staying silent as he helped Jones to his feet. He put the sword back in its scabbard and gingerly placed the severed appendage in a handkerchief before walking away.

Turning to Emma and Aurora, the latter still leaning heavily into Emma, Regina's tone softened as she asked, "Are you two alright? Did he hurt you?"

Aurora didn't say a word, merely shook as she took laboured breaths.

"I think she's still in shock," Emma said quietly.

Regina nodded. "Get her to her room, or better yet, take her to the kitchens so someone can look over her. Then, I want you to meet me in my chambers and wait, understood?"

"Yes," Emma nodded. Figuring that Regina right now wasn't expecting such a casual answer, Emma added, "Your Majesty" and thumped her hand over her heart.

With a brusque nod, Regina walked off towards Jones' room and left them alone in the hallway.

This was a mess, and Emma sighed. There was no way she was getting out of this fiasco so easily. She made sure Aurora wouldn't collapse if she moved away, and went to grab the now empty pitcher and dented metal cover, returning them to the tray she had abandoned earlier. Balancing it on one arm, she brought the other arm to wrap around Aurora's middle, and together, they made their way to the kitchens.

She figured that Regina believed Aurora would be safer with all the nurturing people there, and she had to agree. As they walked, Emma realized that, from the looks they got and the whispers she heard, everyone in the castle now knew what happened.

Granny immediately greeted them at the door while Red took the tray, flashing Emma a reassuring smile. The older woman took Aurora into her arms and led her to a fireplace off to the side. One scullery maid draped a blanket over Aurora's shoulder, and another one sought to do the same to Emma but she denied.

"Where are you going?" Red asked as she returned.

"The Queen wants to talk to me," Emma answered, and a deep sense of foreboding settled between them.

So, with a last glance at everyone, Emma turned around and headed back to the Queen's chambers with a heavy step, resigned to her fate, whatever it may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a chapter huh?
> 
> Lots of things happening! I tried to not be too graphic with what happened with Jones, but I figure he's got to get his villain origin story somehow.
> 
> Now, I must ask, what do you think will happen? Will Regina believe Emma? Will she even want to hear Emma's side of the story?
> 
> Also, is everyone satisfied with how Emma and Regina's relationship is being presented? I'm sure at some points I get a bit heavy-handed with Emma's worries, but I want to underscore the vast valley of their societal positions, as a servant and a queen. I hope that comes across okay!
> 
> Now, hopefully I'll be able to update this one soon enough, and meanwhile, I've got a few drabbles and one-shots I want to get off my plate, and then I'll start the cycle back around with an update to Her Stable Girl followed by How many times can a heart break.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!


	7. Sentenced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! Another long overdue chapter. I had planned on posting this last week, but then got attacked by a 3-day migraine so that plan quickly went up in smoke.
> 
> I'm really happy everyone is enjoying the pace and plot of the story, so here we go with more! Not a super long one, but it's shaping for how the next chapter - which will be more intense - will go.
> 
> Enjoy!

Emma waited patiently in the Queen's chambers. Well, as patiently as she could. She was pacing all around the room, hoping she would hear the Queen come soon. But it was taking her a long while. Too long.

She hoped that Sir Glass hadn't managed to spin a tale that completely convinced Regina of Emma's guilt.

* * *

Much to Emma's happiness, that wasn't the case. What Sidney and Regina had found upon entering Jones' chamber was something far too incriminating.

"Well then," Regina drawled, lips settling into a thin line. She was looking at all the missing money strewn about the room, haphazardly stuffed into nooks and crannies.

Sidney's eyebrow twitched. "What the hell did you do?" he muttered to a nearly delirious Jones, who was still whimpering and crying at the loss of his hand.

Regina whipped around to face the pair of men. "What the hell is the meaning of this?!" she thundered.

"I swear to you, your Majesty, I was not privy to Jones' plans," Sidney was quick to say.

"You better not, otherwise you would be joining him." Regina sneered. "Get that man standing up by himself and to stop his pity partying. His hand is the least of his worries now."

Sidney slapped some sense onto Jones, so he was sufficiently brought up to speed and could stand by himself.

He cradled his stump of an arm close to his chest as he pleaded mercy to the queen. "Please your Majesty, have mercy-"

"Silence! Is this not the stolen money?" Regina asked slowly, teeth gritted, and a positively murderous look on her face. She knew it was the money. Jones was far from being a rich man.

Jones fumbled. "I suppose. It's not mine though, someone must have planted it!"

Regina scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool? I can sense the charms you have bought in order to prevent any trespassers from entering your chambers. They are crude, but effective in its own way. So again, I ask, how did this money come to be in your room?"

Jones got down to his knees, eyes watering, right when the healer came in. "Please, your Majesty, have mercy on me. I was only putting the scoundrels in their place and-"

"Silence!" Regina commanded, getting the snivelling man to shut his mouth. Turning to the healer, she said, "We will no longer be needing your services."

Jones could only watch in horror as his source of salvation quickly bowed and left.

"Now, as I'm sure you can imagine, your post here has been terminated, and you are hereby forbidden from ever setting foot in this castle again, nor its grounds. But as an added punishment, for your thievery…"

Jones' eyes widened, knowing where the Queen was going with her words. "No!"

"Sir Glass, if you could hold out Jones' severed hand…"

Sidney did as asked, unfolding the handkerchief and holding his arm out, looking repulsed at having to hold the appendage at all.

Jones crawled on his knees to the Queen, grabbing a fistful of the Queen's dress. "Please, your Majesty-"

"I said silence!" Regina growled, whipping the dress skirt out of his grasp. "If you have the idiocy to try to rob from my own workers, have the balls to take this without your worthless begging."

Jones tried to look at Glass, but the other man would not make eye contact. He knew better than to try and defend him. It would just lead to his own demotion or expulsion.

"Now. Killian Jones, for the act of thievery, the punishment is usually a severed hand. But since you already had the conscience to do it yourself…"

Jones gritted his teeth at the comment. And at the flick of the wrist, the severed appendage was set on fire, quickly turning to a pile of ash, rings included. Regina gathered the handkerchief and bundled it messily up, quickly throwing it at Jones, who fumbled and let the charred dust remainder fall out and spill all over himself, making him look a right mess.

"And in regards to your lying and constant mistreatment of my workers, you are hereby stripped of all your belongings, and forced to make do for the rest of your life with nothing more than the clothes on your back."

Before Jones could say another word, Regina used her magic to transport the pitiful man to the darkest reaches of the Endless Forest.

A beat passed where Sidney didn't even dare breathe.

"Now, Sir Glass. Gather up the coins and take them back to my coffers, I will decide what to do with them later."

Sidney figured he was better off just doing as asked and not questioning the Queen if she was in such a volatile mood. But he would get things to go back to his way. There was no chance that he would let this injustice prevail. In his mind, he knew who was to blame.

The culprit was the Queen's handmaiden, and he would be damned if he lost his Usher to that ungrateful wench.

"Right away, your Majesty," Glass said, thumping a fist over his heart.

Regina left him to it, and hurried back to her own room.

The sight she was greeted with was worrisome for her. Emma had been pacing like mad, wringing her hands and looking increasingly worried. It got to the point that Regina hadn't even fully closed the door before Emma began to blabber, "I'm really sorry Regina, he was just so aggressive earlier, and when I saw him with Aurora, I had to intervene, and I swear I didn't think he would try to attack us with his sword…"

"Emma-" Regina tried.

"...But he did and the hand was a complete accident, but he completely deserved with the way he keeps on treating everyone..."

"Emma-" Regina tried again, advancing to grab Emma gently by her shoulders.

"Especially since Red told me that he was trying to take back the money you gave all of us and-"

"Emma!" Regina tried louder, finally getting the frazzled woman to quieten. "It's okay, I already took care of him."

"You-you did?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "Yes. I banished him. I also found out he was the thief from yesterday's robberies, meaning his hand was not reintegrated with his body, as part of his punishment."

Emma was gaping. "He was the thief?"

Regina nodded.

"And what in the world did you do with his hand?"

As an answer, Regina held up her hand, palm up, and lit a fireball.

Emma's eyes widened. "You burnt it?"

"Pulverized it, but yes. I didn't want him to chance putting it back again." At Emma's growing face of disgust, Regina added, "Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to do it, but as you said, he deserved it."

Despite her growing nausea at imagining the hand being pulverized with the fire, Emma had to agree. He was smarmy and repulsive. She was by no means sorry to hear he was gone.

Regina recalled something Emma had said while she had rambled. "What did you mean, he was trying to reclaim the money I gave?"

Emma then realized what she had said. Well, it wasn't like she had broken enough protocols on propriety in the past day, so Emma just reaffirmed. "Exactly that. Jones and Glass were discussing about getting the money back from everyone, and I heard from a reliable source that Jones had already collected the money from all the maids that were in the castle, and he was making his way through the library."

To say Regina looked livid was an understatement. Then she composed herself and cleared her throat. She gave Emma a searing kiss on her lips, and when they parted, she murmured, "Please don't feel guilty for what you told me. These injustices can't keep happening in my castle. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? You more than deserve it."

Emma decided she would take the offer, wanting to spend some downtime by herself to try and come to terms with all that had happened.

Except that, when she was making her way down to the kitchens, figuring she could use Red's companionship and advise, she was met with Sir Glass and two guards blocking her way.

She quickly bowed her head and thumped her hand over her heart, standing to the side, thinking they were just passing by.

However, she quickly found herself apprehended by the two guards, and her chin roughly jerked to face a furious Chamberlain. "You," he uttered.

Emma found that his grip made it impossible and painful to try and speak, so she could only watch in abject horror as he shook with fury.

"You have done enough damage here, you ungrateful bitch." Sidney practically spat on her face with his words. "You will spend a month in the dungeons to pay for your crimes, and then be sent back to Silas so he can finish you off."

"I-" Emma managed to stutter out.

Before she could try to say anything else, Sir Glass' grip tightened. "I hear one more peep out of you, and I promise you that you will regret it immensely. Now get her out of my sight."

With a sinking heart, Emma was dragged off by the two guards, watching as Sir Glass wiped the hand that had been touching her, as if she was vermin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that!
> 
> Quite the drama huh? And next chapter we shall see the consequences of what all of this leads to!
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts as always.
> 
> Next up will be Her Stable Girl, and then I'll be gearing up to finish up the Rarest of Christmas Miracles which was kinda left unfinished last year.


End file.
